


Confessions of a Handmaiden

by Sp8Bait



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Anal Sex, Dean and Charlie are roommates, Drunken Confession, Fluff, Gabriel and Charlie plot, M/M, Protective Dean, cuteness, sno-stiel(ha!)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:27:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24028864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sp8Bait/pseuds/Sp8Bait
Summary: During a "girl's night" with his roommate Charlie, Dean blurts how much he loves blue eyes. Charlie puts two and two together and begins a plot to get Dean and Cas together. Help comes in the form of Gabriel Novak and what comes next is a hysterical and disastrous plan to get these two love birds to admit their feelings for each other.
Relationships: Dean Winchester/Castiel, Gabriel/Sam Winchester(background/minor)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 91
Collections: Perfect Pair Bang 2020 (Official)





	1. Drunken Blurtations

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first bang where I had an artist and I got the incredibly talented Couyfish. I had so much fun working with her on this and loved how the whole thing came out. Huge thanks to my pal CrowleyLovesUSUk for being a beta and keeping me on track. And thanks to the mods for the PPB, I can't wait for next year!
> 
> Just want to make this clear, there is no forcing to come out - Dean is already out and proud. He simply sucks at voicing his feelings to anyone(except Charlie).

_January 12, 2019_

“You know what my favorite color is, Charles?”

Charlie rolled her eyes at the god awful nickname that her roommate, and best friend, Dean Winchester- insisted on calling her. They had spent a lazy Saturday binge watching some of the newer Star Wars movies. As they were setting up for _The Last Jedi,_ Dean snagged the booze and the snacks.

Halfway through the two and a half hour film, they paused for bathroom breaks, refills on popcorn, and Dean topping off their glasses of rum and Coke. Now they were sitting comfortably, with thick mud masks covering their faces and it hadn’t been hard to talk Dean into it either. He may not want to admit it, but he was as big a fan of beauty products as Charlie was.

Many a time since they’d been roommates, Charlie had walked in, only to see Dean with some sort of goop all over his face or even slathering his skin in some type of lotion.

Charlie turned toward him on their overstuffed couch and giggled at him. They were both still wearing the masks, and it was nearly time to remove the green goop. Dean was gazing at their popcorned ceiling, a dreamy look on his face, a Twizzler half hanging out of the corner of his mouth.

_What a sight._

“No, Dean. What is it?” Charlie asked, her attention off of the TV. She didn’t really care for these new ones anyway, she was all about the old school originals. Part of why she had Princess Leia straddling a twenty sided die that was forever tattooed on her skin. In her defense, she was drunk, it was comic-con and Princess Leia was _hot_ in that gold bikini.

“Blue. Always used to say that any shade of blue was good. But that’s a lie. The best shade is a darker blue, almost like denim. Ya know?” Dean murmured, his green eyes hooded as he continued to stare at the ceiling. Charlie had a feeling where this was going but she didn’t dare interrupt. Drunk Dean was a thing of beauty, he always hated ‘chick flick moments,’ but get a few drinks in him and he gushes like a girl at a slumber party.

Looking around at the candy wrappers, stack of DVDs and empty solo cups, Charlie realized that’s exactly what this was, minus a few more girls. Charlie figured she could take a stab in the dark about what he was about to say, she felt like she could read him like a book.

“Dean?” Charlie started, her eyes locked on the figure of her friend as he continued to gape at the ceiling. “Any particular reason why blue is your favorite?”

Dean giggled, his head lolling so he looked at Charlie. “He has pretty eyes, you know. Like the sea after a storm. I could get los’ in ‘em.”

Dean’s speech was beginning to slur thanks to the booze but Charlie knew exactly who he was talking about. 

Cas.

Charlie could even admit that if she was into guys, Cas was pretty fucking hot. Only problem? Both Dean and Cas were completely oblivious. It was plain to anyone else, with the amount of eye fucking the two did. 

“Deanie, do you have a crush on Cas?”

Just as he was opening his mouth to answer, the timer Charlie had set went off. They took a few minutes to remove the masks, Dean whining as it pulled at his freckled skin. A few minutes later, they were re-settled on the couch and Charlie asked him her question again.

Dean spluttered as he nearly dropped his drink, “On my best friend? Of course not!”

Charlie snorted, nearly inhaling a piece of popcorn. After she was able to clear her throat, she turned her attention away from the movie. _This_ was more entertaining anyway, “Are you sure about that?”

“Yep. Positive. Absolutely sure.” Dean insisted, his voice steadily getting louder. Charlie held out her hands in surrender and after a moment Dean relaxed his stiff posture. He slumped back against the couch and let out a deep, shuddering breath.

Charlie could have smacked him. She knew Dean had an aversion to talking about feelings but this was a little ridiculous and _long_ overdue. She was half tempted to start a pool on when these two would finally get their acts together.

Dean began mumbling, his empty cup falling from his fingers. His pretty green eyes were closed, and Charlie took a moment to look over one of the most important people in her life. In sleep, even drunken sleep, Dean looked softer, his rough edges, smooth. This was the man who saved Charlie’s life in more ways than one, and she would be forever grateful. 

She knew Dean was in love with Cas. The stubborn ass just wouldn’t admit it. Bored with the movie, she shut it off and began cleaning up from their ‘‘girl’s night’’. Not that Dean would call it that. _Ever_. Taking the cups to the kitchen, she came back, and seeing that Dean was still sleeping, she dragged the afhgan that hung on the back of the couch over his passed out form. After the lights were shut off, she made her way back to her bedroom and crawled under the covers.

As she drifted off to sleep, she began to plot how to get her two favorite people together.

  
  
  


X x X

The next morning Dean woke with a groan, his head pounding and his mouth feeling like something died in it. Sunlight poured from an open window and he rolled, nearly falling off of the couch. Grumbling to himself as he sat up, he smiled at the afghan that was now pooled in his lap. He didn’t deserve his awesome roommate. He slowly wandered out to the kitchen, his stomach roiling and found a note on the table next to a glass of water and two aspirins.

_Handmaiden!_

_Had to leave for work. Wasn’t sure what time you would decide to rejoin the Land of the Living. Take these and feel better, you’re no good to Moondoor when you’re hung over. See ya soon! Xoxoxo_

_-C_

Dean grumbled as he swallowed the pills and sipped at the water, trying to not anger it to the point of puking. Gross. He eyed the note Charlie had left in annoyance. She seemed bound and determined to never let him forget the times she would drag him for a LARPing weekend with her and the rest of the gang.

He knew he looked good in his white tunic, brown vest and black breeches but it wasn't something he wanted to wear every weekend. 

Even with Charlie's begging. Queen or not.

Grabbing his phone, he stretched out on the couch and got comfortable. Typing out a quick message, it didn't take long to get a response.

_Angel: Hello Dean_

Dean always called Cas an angel, ever since they’d first met, and he learned that Cas was named after the angel of Thursday. When they finally exchanged numbers, Dean entered his info in as ‘Angel’ with no intention of ever changing it.

_Dean: Wanna hang out?_

He felt his pulse quicken as he waited for the response. Sure, he was out and proud, nothing to hide, thank you very much. But this was _Cas._ So many times, Dean had just wanted to grab the man and smash their lips together, to touch and taste with wild abandon. But, what if Cas only saw him as a friend?

This knowledge had Dean biting his tongue to keep the words back. Needless to say, the last few months had been pure torture.

_Angel: Sure, I can be at your apartment in twenty._

Cas was coming over! Despite the lingering hangover from his hangout night with Charlie(still not calling it a girl’s night!), Dean jumped up and did a happy dance. Quickly tidying up the place, which wasn’t hard since he and Charlie didn’t have much, Dean quickly showered and dressed with a soft grey henley and his nicest sweatpants.

Hey, he still wanted to be comfortable! Plus, there was never a dress code when they hung out. Just as he was pulling his shirt over his head, there was a knock at the door and Dean practically ran to it.

Nearly wrenching the door open, he was struck dumb at the sight of Cas leaning against the door frame. “Hello Dean.”

“Uh, fu- er- I mean, hi Cas.” _Jesus, you’re an idiot!_

Cas merely smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in that adorable way of his. He looked and smelled delicious, dressed in a faded Louden Swain t-shirt and worn blue jeans, his atrocious trench coat that he always wore hung over one arm. The smell of his spicy cologne tickled at Dean’s nose and he wanted nothing more than to bury himself in the scent.

Dean coughed awkwardly and moved aside so Cas could enter the apartment and Dean followed him into the living room area, trying (and failing) to not notice how the jeans molded to his ass _just so_.

Fuck, he was doomed.

“Feel like watching a movie?” Dean asked and when Cas nodded, they searched through the choices on Netflix before deciding on The Hangover Part 3. 

“No fair! I haven’t watched the first two!” Cas protested as they got comfortable on the couch. 

“Yes you have. Not my fault that you got drunk and passed out on both movies.” Not to mention that Cas had passed out, with his head in Dean’s _lap_ , but _that_ little nugget of info was staying hidden.

“Fine!” Cas huffed, his arms crossed over his chest and _fuck_ did Dean want to grab him and kiss him senseless. His lower lip was curled into a pout, his blue eyes narrowed but twinkling. _Sassy fucker._

“You’re cute when you’re mad.” Cas’ eyes grew wide and Dean backpedaled when he realized exactly what had tumbled out of his mouth. “Well-er-don’t look at me like that, you know you’re cute. Sit yer ass down so we can watch the movie.”

“Bossy, bossy.” Cas smiled but did indeed sit his ass down on one end of the couch, Dean planted at the other end, popcorn and various other snacks in the middle.

A few times as Dean was reaching for popcorn, his gaze locked on the TV, his fingers brushed with Cas’ and he nearly had a stroke. Just a simple brushing of fingers and he felt like he was going to burst out of his skin.

He was so fucked.

X x X

Two days later Sam walked into Giovanni’s Pizzeria to start his shift. He loved his job, he got to work around food and he got to hang out with one of his best friends all day.

The little bell above the door dinged as he entered the building and he was immediately assaulted with the smell of pizza sauce and pepperoni. Most people he knew would get tired of being around food, cooking food and serving food all of the time. But not Sam. Giovanni’s was his heaven.

“Winchester! About time you dragged your sorry ass here!” Charlie shrieked, Sam wincing over the sound. He loved her, he really did. But sometimes Charlie Bradbury could be a bit….much.

“What are you talking about? I’m five minutes early!” Sam protested, smoothing down his red t-shirt with the words ‘Giovanni’s’ in white and a slice of pizza printed on it. It blended nicely with his black work trousers that don’t look so nice at the end of the day when they’re covered with flour and sauce.

Choosing an apron off of the rack, he put it on and wandered around the counter and toward the kitchen where Charlie had bellowed from. It wasn’t a huge pizza shop; about fifteen tables for customers to eat in and a long counter to ring up orders and for pick up. A small alcove opened into the kitchen and dish room and that is where he found Charlie and a short, golden haired man that instantly had his blood pumping south.

“Whoa. They grow the men big here, huh?” The man said, his honeyed eyes fixated on Sam’s. Sam coughed awkwardly, he wasn’t used to being flirted with. He was everyone’s best friend, not boyfriend material apparently. His senior year of high school, Sam had discovered that he liked guys as much as girls and spent the first year of college trying to wrap his head around that knowledge.

“Uh, hi. I’m Sam.” He just blurted it out, something about the man who was several inches shorter than himself made him feel itchy and heated.

Golden eyes smirked, dimples popping on his scruffy face. “Gabriel. They call me Gabriel.”

_Jesus_ , that voice. And his _name_ ! Named after an angel, an archangel at that, but Sam had a feeling that Gabriel was _anything_ but angelic. He found himself wanting desperately to find out.

“Uh, anyway.” Charlie coughed, grinning at the two of them. “Paulie just hired him and he starts today!”

Sam groaned mentally. The spicy cologne wafting off of the man was enticing and Sam had to fight himself from burying his nose into the skin and breathing deep.

"So, Sammykins, how long have you worked here?" Gabriel asked, his golden eyes twinkling and arms crossed over his chest. Strong, sturdy arms dusted lightly with hair that Sam absolutely did not notice.

"Uh, about two years now." It took a moment before he realized that he didn't correct Gabriel on his name, something he did with everyone else.

"Super dupes." Gabriel said, pursing his lips and rocking back on his heels. Since he was a new hire and had no work clothes yet, Gabriel was dressed in snug fitting jeans, _hello bulge!_ and a light blue t-shirt.

“Yeah, uh, something like that.” Sam choked out, blushing when Gabriel’s eyes twinkled with mischief at finding Sam checking him out.

“Guys, save the eye humping for when you’re off the clock. Even if I was a fan of penis, I don’t want to see it in our workplace.” Charlie grumbled at them both, Sam at least looking sheepish. But Gabriel, the smug bastard was grinning widely. “And what is with penises anyway? Looks like a shriveled roll of dimes, just, eww.”

“Charlie, we get the point! There will be no dicks hanging out at work.” Sam huffed.

Gabriel snorted. “Speak for yourself Big and Tall. And I happen to be a _big_ fan of the penis.”

Jesus, this was going to be a long day.

X x X

A few hours later, after Gabriel helped Charlie assemble six pizzas while Sam delivered them, he pulled the redhead off to the side in the dishroom. 

“Alright, now spill.”

“Why, whatever do you mean?” Charlie asked, her pale face the perfect image of innocence. _What a crock of shit._

“Charlie.” Gabriel hissed, trying and failing to glare at her. She simply grinned, and _that_ pushed his buttons even more. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Charlie pursed her lips and Gabriel had the sudden and overwhelming desire to strangle her. Even if she was a cool chick.

“Charlie!” Gabriel whined and stomped his foot. With his short stature, he knew he looked like a temperamental five year old but he didn’t care.

“Ok, ok.” Charlie said, holding up her hands. “Calm your tits. Am I correct in assuming you want the 4-1-1 on your hottie co-worker?”

“Am I that transparent?” Gabriel cried, his hands running through his light blond hair.

“Just a little. But tell you what. You help me out with a little something and I’ll help you get the Moose of your dreams.”

Gabriel held out his hand and grinned as Charlie took it and they shook. “Deal.”

X x X

Cas ran a hand through his disheveled hair as he reached the door to Dean's apartment. He had to get it cut soon, if it got long enough it tended to do whatever it wanted - no matter how much combing and product he used.

Knocking twice, he heard banging around and a muffled “Son of a Bitch,” before the door opened. His brain short circuited at the sight of Dean in a black tank top and grey sweatpants. 

Who was he kidding? This green eyed god would make a trash bag look like high end couture. Having excellent gaydar and knowing the second he met Dean that the freckled beauty was bisexual, he’d always wanted to make a move.

But he was afraid.

Afraid of rejection, that was certain. Afraid of Dean laughing in his face and telling Cas he wasn’t good enough; that he was nowhere close to being in league with the man.

Fag. Fairy. Homo. Cas was called every derogatory word that bullies could think of when he came out as gay in high school. Well, it was more like getting caught kissing a popular boy at a party, (who had come onto Cas first). Of Course the boy had made it out to be all on Cas’ end. For the rest of his senior year, he was bullied and called ‘Fag’ for simply showing interest in a fellow male classmate. It was hell on his self esteem, and even to this day, he wasn’t sure if he had ever fully recovered from the experience.

“Whatcha doing here Cas?” Dean asked, pleasantly sleep rumpled and looking delicious. Cas wanted nothing more than to dump his plans and drag the adorable man to bed and worship his freckled body.

“I was going out for a run and wondered if you would like to accompany me.” Cas said, licking his lips. He noticed that Dean’s eyes tracked the motion and held back a smile.

“Cas, buddy. You sound like a robot, you gotta loosen up a little.” Dean chuckled, as he took a few steps back, waving Cas into the apartment.

_‘You know what would help me loosen up a little? Pounding you into the mattress until you can’t walk.’_

Of course, Cas didn’t say that. 

He wasn’t sure Dean would react favorably to an advance such as that. Favorably? Jesus, he _was_ a robot. Cas followed Dean into the living room, not bothering to try to avoid checking out Dean’s ass. “Running, huh? You realize that it’s January.”

Cas chuckled at how dumbfounded Dean sounded. “Yes, I know that Dean. People tend to run all year round.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “Smartass. You know I hate running.”

“You make me that way,” Cas said, sticking out his tongue. “Besides, I’ll take you out for breakfast after.” He had no clue if Dean had eaten already but he would take any opportunity to spend more time with the man.

“Fine. But only because I get a second breakfast.” Dean grumbled as he walked toward his bedroom to get ready. He could use the exercise, no matter how much he complains about it. Working at a desk day after day was a little too sedentary for his taste but being able to design and build things from the ground up was his passion.

“What are you, a hobbit?” Cas called after him, chuckling.

“Shut up Cas.” Dean called back, no heat behind his words.

He came out a few minutes later and Cas felt his mouth run dry at the sight of Dean in running shoes, the same sweatpants and a grey Henley. Grabbing a jacket out of the hall closet and tugging a beanie over his sandy hair, he tossed a gummy smile at Cas. 

Jesus, it was like staring into the sun. Completely mesmerizing.

“C’mon Cas. Let’s get this torture over with so you can buy me a doughnut the size of my face.”

Cas rolled his eyes but if he was being honest, he would buy Dean whatever he wanted just to see him smile.

X x X

Fifteen minutes later, Dean was in hell. He kept himself in shape but was never a fan of running. His lungs felt like they were on fire, his legs were trembling and if he slid on one more sheet of ice, he was just going to lay down and refuse to move.

The only thing that made this crazy endeavor worth it was the blue eyed man that ran alongside him. Dean would pay anything to not have to exercise, especially running, but all Cas had to do was bat his pretty eyes at Dean and the man was agreeing.

“Ho-how much further?” Dean huffed as they ran side by side down the street. He had a stitch in his side the size of the Grand Canyon and his ragged breath felt like it was laced with barbed wire on his throat. Cas, the bastard, had barely broken a sweat. At least he’d left off the ridiculous trench coat in favor of a sweater. “How are you not freezing your balls off?”

Cas laughed as he ran with an easy gait which made Dean jealous. He felt like a newborn fawn stumbling around. “I always run hot, Dean, and I rarely get cold.”

Fucking hell, the things that gravel voice did to him. He wanted to pin the man against the wall and taste the skin underneath his clothes. Jesus, think about baseball or something, kinda hard to ‘run’ with a raging boner.

After another agonizing ten minutes, Dean felt like his lungs were going to explode. Cas, still, didn’t even look out of breath. In an effort to put this fiasco to bed, Dean came up with the brilliant plan to be as annoying as possible. "Do people actually do this in the winter? I'm gonna fall on my ass. I can't feel my fingers. Cas, I’ve had to take a piss for the last five minutes, are we done with this lunacy yet? Wanna get some coffee? I want my doughnut, you promised me a doughnut."

Cas abruptly stopped in his tracks and bent over. Hysterically laughing, when he finally stood up he had tear tracks on his cheeks from laughing so hard. “Dean Winchester, you are a brat.”

“Only for you Cas.” Dean grinned and before he could stop himself, he swept a tear off of Cas’ cheek with the pad of his thumb. Cas’ eyes widened and his lips parted into an ‘O.’ Shit, did he just cross a line? “Hey, let’s go get that doughnut.”

Desperate to change the subject, because he didn’t want Cas to ‘gently let him down,’ or worse—give him the ‘We Can Still Be Friends’ Speech. Because if Dean was really honest with himself, whenever he looked into those sapphire eyes, he saw _forever._

Cas simply nodded. Silently, they walked down the street. Dean spotted a bakery called _The Baker’s Dozen,_ and started bouncing up and down in excitement. “Cas. Cas, let’s go in there.”

“Of course Dean. I did promise you a doughnut the size of your face, didn’t I?”

Dean laughed, and as they reached the doors, Sam suddenly appeared in front of them. He was pink-cheeked and scanning the sidewalk before he looked sheepishly at the two men in front of him.

“Hey guys. Uh, have either of you seen Gabriel?”

“Uh, nope. What’s going on Sammy?”

“So, listen. He wanted to come running with me but we got separated . I haven’t been able to find him.”

“Don’t worry Sam, he’ll turn up.” Cas assured, briefly clapping the taller man on the arm.

“If you guys will excuse me, I’m running in here to use the bathroom.” Without waiting for a reply, he entered the bakery. He honestly did have to pee, it wasn’t entirely an excuse to get Cas to stop running. As he passed the display cases, he stopped dead in his tracks.

“Gabriel! What the hell are you doing?!” The man in question was hiding in a corner, stuffing raspberry filled donuts into his mouth. Dean giggled at the neon green socks, electric blue tights and bright purple sweater that Gabriel wore. It was a chaotic mess but fit the shorter man so well.

“Oh, uh, hi Deano. Shit, Sam found you guys didn’t he?” Gabriel said around a mouthful of doughnut, a gob of raspberry clinging to the corner of his mouth.

“Yep. Why are you hiding in here stuffing your face?”

“It was one thing to go running with him—his ass looks fabulous in tight running pants by the way. But I needed something to balance out all the _crap_ he’s been making me eat. _Salad_ , Dean. He made me eat _salad_! It’s unnatural!”

Dean laughed as Sam and Cas entered the shop and Gabriel dropped the half eaten donut that was in his hand. “Shit, he found me!”

Dean cackled as Gabriel ducked behind him, even though Sam had already spotted him. Sam had his hands on his hips, attempting to look stern but failing horribly.

Sam stalked forward and reached around Dean to grab at Gabriel. “No, dammit Sammykins. You’ll never take me alive!”

Snorting, Sam merely grabbed Gabriel and tossed him over his shoulder. Gabriel glared from his perch at the customers and staff who were laughing at his predicament. Sam turned to Dean and Cas who were not so subtly hiding their grins. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Bye!” Gabriel waved enthusiastically as they left the bakery and everyone still inside burst into hysterical laughter.

“Jesus, your brother is a menace.” Dean remarked as they got into line.

“You have no idea.”


	2. These Cookies Taste Funny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas has a medical emergency, Gabriel and Charlie's plans aren't working out so well.

Two days later, Charlie pulled into the lot of Gabriel and Cas’ apartment building. The pair had tried to formulate a plan for Cas and Dean but between the busy shop and Gabriel flirting relentlessly with Sam, they haven’t gotten far.

She hit the buzzer, and a moment later, Gabriel’s hyperactive voice filtered through. “Is that my partner in crime?!”

She barked out a laugh at his enthusiasm. “Sure is. You gonna let me in, shortstack?”

After a moment of silence, the lock disengaged with a loud buzz and Charlie bounced through the doorway. Gabriel and Cas’ apartment was on the second floor and any other person would’ve groaned at the sight of the broken elevator. Luckily, Charlie wasn’t like other people.

With childlike enthusiasm, she bounced up the stairs singing Walking on Sunshine as loud as she could. Her boots clumped on the stairs as she ran and she suddenly regretted her wardrobe choice of skinny jeans and an off the shoulder red blouse. Hey, she was on the lookout for a lady love, gotta show the assets off.

Approaching the door to the apartment, Charlie grinned, excited to get started with ‘Operation Get Cas and Dean Together.’ They needed to work on the title. Rapping on the door, she could hear Gabriel squeal and race for the door.

“Oh my god, it took you  _ forever _ to get here!” Gabriel gasped out, his cheeks red. He was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, hair slightly combed back and brushing his shoulders.

“Chill out dude.” Charlie laughed as she entered the apartment and took off her boots and coat. It was her first time in their apartment, Gabriel having given her directions and she wasn’t sure where to look. 

It was like two complete personalities had exploded all over the apartment. From what she had seen of Gabriel so far, he seemed the brash type and not so neat. The common areas of the living room and kitchen were neat for the most part except for the dishes in the sink and various DVD’s scattered on the floor in front of the TV. Since she heard no other noises coming from the apartment, she could safely assume that they were alone and this mess was entirely Gabriel’s.

“Ok, “ Charlie said, sitting down on the couch and getting right to the point. “What do we do first?”

Gabriel pursed his lips in thought and then his eyes widened. “Cookies.” At Charlie’s confused look, he continued. “Cas loves oatmeal raisin cookies. We could get some in a cute container and mark it, ‘From a Secret Admirer.’”

“I don’t know. It should be something sweet and romantic.”

Gabriel huffed indignantly. “Trust me Red, I’d drop my oversized man panties for a container full of cookies anyday.”

“Oversized, huh?” Charlie let out a laugh at the image.

“Yep, I got an anaconda in my pants, need the space so the boys don’t get squished.”

“Dammit Gabriel, I didn’t need a visual!” Charlie sputtered and elbowed the smaller man. She had to admit though, the cookies could be a surefire way to get Dean and Cas together. Who didn’t love cookies, especially if they were from a secret admirer?

“Sorry, sorry.” Gabriel held his hands up in surrender but Charlie could tell that he wasn’t really sorry. Being brash and perverted was just part of his personality. “I know a bakery I can get them from and I think they have cute containers that would work.”

“Sounds like a plan. I gotta run, keep me posted on the cookies.” Charlie said as she stood up and gave Gabriel a quick pop on the arm. “Oh, thought you might want to know that it’s just you and Sam working tomorrow.”

She let herself out of the apartment, giggling at Gabriel’s outburst of, “Oh my god, what am I going to wear?”

She silently hoped while they were setting up Dean and Cas, that Sam and Gabriel would get their own happily ever after.

X x X

Dean was sitting on his couch playing video games when  _ Kashmir _ started blaring over his phone - a ringtone he had assigned just for Cas.

Pausing the game, Dean picked up the phone and pushed the answer button. “Hey buddy, what’s up?”

“Dean,” Cas wheezed, “I need your help.”

Dean felt his blood freeze at the sound of Cas’ voice. In all the years that Dean had known Cas, he had never before sounded panicked before. “Where are you?”

“At home.” There was a pause and a wheeze before Cas said, “I feel funny, I’m breaking out in hives.”

“Stay put, I’m on my way.” Without bothering to shut off the Playstation, Dean slipped into his boots and grabbed his jacket. Skidding across the January ice, Dean jumped into the Impala, started the engine and pulled out of the driveway without bothering to warm it up first. Normally, he wouldn’t do that and he’d berate anyone he saw skipping that step, especially in this kind of weather. But this was Cas—and he needed him.

Within minutes, and after cursing out any cars that puttered in front of him, Dean frantically pulled up to the apartment that Cas shared with Gabriel. All sorts of horrible scenarios were running through his head. What was going on with Cas? Was he hurt? Where did the hives come from? His heart was thundering in his ears as he pushed a bunch of buzzers on the panel next to the door, desperate to get to Cas but unsure if Cas was going to be able to answer the buzzer for their apartment. What if he was passed out on the floor?

After what seemed like hours, he was finally granted access to the building and he raced like a shot to the second floor. Skidding to a stop in front of Cas’ apartment, he practically kicked the door down in pure desperation.

He found Cas curled up on the couch, scratching at his arms. He looked like complete shit if Dean was completely honest. His tousled hair was even more fucked up and Dean could see even from a distance that Cas’ lips were swelling. As he breathed in, Dean could hear a wheeze coming from his chest and Dean knew that he needed help. Now.

“Cas, buddy, I’m here. What do you want me to do?” Dean asked, crouching near his friend.

“I need...my pen.” Cas wheezed. Dean knew instantly what he meant. Nodding to him and squeezing his hand, Dean ran to the back of the apartment and shoved his way into Cas’ bedroom. Rummaging in the stand next to Cas’ bed, he found the case that held Cas’ lifeline.

Running back into the living room, his heart thudding in his chest, Dean crouched next to Cas. Fingers shaking, Dean opened the case and gripped the pen. Taking off the safety tip, he gripped Cas’ thigh with his other hand.

_ Holy shit, I’m touching Cas’ thigh! Focus, you fucking idiot! _

“Don’t worry, Cas. This’ll make it better.” With a smooth motion, Dean plunged the tip of the pen against Cas’ thigh. It was an auto injector so Dean didn’t need to do anything else. After several seconds, Dean set the pen on the coffee table and let out a breath. After a few moments, Cas was able to breathe a little easier and he gave Dean a shaky smile, as he massaged the epinephrine into the muscle of his leg.

“What the hell happened Cas?”

Cas let out a cough and rubbed the back of his neck. “It was the cookies you sent me. Must’ve had nutmeg in it. It’s the only thing I’ve eaten in a while today.”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t send you any cookies.” Dean was legit confused. He had discovered Cas’ allergy in the early days of their friendship and anything food wise that he would give to Cas, he made sure it didn’t contain nutmeg.

Dean watched as Cas reached over the side of the couch and pulled up a little tin of cookies with a note on top. He silently handed the tin to Dean with a careful and confused expression on his face.

The tin was brightly colored and round in shape but Dean was more focused on the note that supposedly came from him. It read, ‘To Cas: From a Secret Admirer.’ While it looked like Dean’s handwriting, he knew it hadn’t come from him, and the fact that someone had sent this to Cas, under the guise that it  _ was _ from him was rather upsetting. Who would do such a thing?

“Cas, I swear. This didn’t come from me. I know you have an allergy, I wouldn’t do that knowing it would hurt you.”

Cas gave him a soft smile and nodded. “Ok Dean. But take those, would you? I don’t want to accidentally eat them and have another reaction.”

Dean let out a laugh and took the tin. “Ok, if you say so. Let’s go get you to the ER and get you checked out.”

Cas grumbled and moaned the whole time and by the time Dean got him back home and stripped, then tucked in bed, he was ready to slap duck tape over his mouth. “Get some rest, Cas.”

As he turned to leave, Cas reached out and grabbed his hand. “Dean. Stay with me, please.”

Dean hesitated. “Are you sure?” He knew he wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want to make things worse for the man.

“Positive.” Cas’ eyes were already getting droopy.

“Ok man, if you insist. I’ll go make a bed out on the couch.” He’d much rather curl up in the inviting bed with Cas but didn’t want to overstep any bounds. Plus, it would make him look like a total creep.

“Thanks for being here for me, Dean.” Cas murmured as he snuggled into the pillow. He looked so young and innocent, Dean wanted to just snuggle him and never let go.

“Anything for you buddy.”

  
  


X x X

A few hours later, Cas rolled over, his eyes widening at the time. It was close to 9pm when they finally made it back from the emergency room. Now it was going past 10am.

His eyes felt sticky, and he absentmindedly rubbed at them as he kicked his covers off. He felt tons better than he had yesterday, and with a frown he thought about those damn cookies from yesterday. And if Dean wasn’t the one who had sent them, then who did?

He’d had hopes that they  _ had _ come from Dean though. Any time he was near the bowl legged beauty with the smattering of freckles, pouty pink lips, and eyes as green as the forest, it made him all tingly inside. He hadn’t felt like this since Aaron Bass in high school and look at how well that turned out.

Would Dean turn out the same way? Sweet God, he hoped not.

Hearing a clatter from the front of the apartment, it took him a moment before he remembered the fact that Dean had slept over. A blush crept over his cheeks at how he had wanted to tug Dean into the bed with him, to bury his nose into Dean’s neck and inhale his delicious scent.

Holy crap, Dean was still in his apartment.

Scrambling to his feet, he checked his reflection in the small mirror above his dresser. His hair as usual was sticking up in every which way, like a bird's nest.

He had no bathroom connected to his bedroom and couldn't let Dean see him like this. Running his fingers through his hair, he managed to somewhat tame the beast that was on top of his head.

He tiptoed out of his bedroom and slid into the bathroom that was across the hall. Quickly relieving himself and then brushing his teeth after washing his hands, he deemed himself as presentable as he was going to get.

As he stepped out into the living room/kitchen area, Dean had his back to Cas as he stood at the stove.

And he was...shirtless.

Dean grinned when he caught sight of Cas hovering at the back of the couch that served to split the two rooms. Cas realized with a giggle that while Dean  _ was _ half-naked, he was also wearing Gabriel's frilly 'Kiss the Cook' apron to save his skin from splatters.

"Hope you're feeling better." Dean said as he stepped away from the stove and grabbed two plates. The smell of bacon had Cas' stomach growling and he eagerly came into the kitchen area.

"Much better. Thank you for staying last night." 

"Don't mention it man, I'm just glad you're ok." Working together, they plated a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. Cas grabbed two glasses and added orange juice to their meal.

The pair sat at the small kitchen table across from each other and tucked into their breakfast. Cas nearly choked on his bacon however when Dean shed the apron, exposing miles of tanned and freckled skin.

"Food go down the wrong way?" Dean asked as Cas got his coughing under control.

"Something like that." He rasped as he took a big gulp of juice.

As they ate, Cas sneaked glances at Dean. He was so beautiful. His long fingers and trim fingernails, corded muscle that snuck up his forearm. 

Cas' mouth ran dry at the sight of Dean's dusky nipples and he longed to wrap his lips around them.

He jumped slightly and averted his eyes when Dean caught him staring at his chest.

"Yeah, I know I gotta hit the gym. Too many cheeseburgers and pie." Dean chuckled but it sounded….strained.

No way in hell did Dean need to hit the gym. He had what Cas has heard is called a "dad bod", his chest and belly on the softer side. Cas found it immensely attractive and really wanted to feel how soft that skin was.

"You're beautiful." Cas blurted and promptly shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

Dean's eyes widened and then he grinned, nudging Cas' foot with his. The rest of breakfast was spent in silence.

X x X

Two days later as Charlie and Gabe were working, the bell chimed above the door and Dean sauntered in. “Hey Deano, what are you doing here?”

“Uh, you guys sell pizza right? I want a pizza.” Dean looked from Charlie to Gabe and it took Dean glowering at them both before they moved from their spots behind the counter. “I need one of your veggie lover ones.”

Charlie dropped her pen in shock. “You. Want a veggie lover’s pizza?”

“Yeah, yeah, but it’s not for me. It’s for Cas. Somehow he got a batch of cookies that had nutmeg in it. And supposedly they were from me but I wouldn’t give him something he’s allergic to.”

Charlie and Gabriel both coughed awkwardly and went about making the veggie lover pizza and fifteen minutes later, Dean headed for the door with pizza in hand. “I’ll see you guys tonight for game night, right?”

“Well, I live with you so, duh.” Charlie quipped as she wiped down the counter.

“Yeah, I’ll be there too, sounds like fun.” Gabriel said, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

As soon as the door swung shut, Charlie turned and smacked Gabriel in the arm. “What the hell, Gabe?! You got him something he’s allergic to?”

“Whoa, whoa! I didn’t know I swear. He was looking a little green around the gills the other day but didn't say anything about having an allergic reaction.” Gabriel loudly protested and backed away from Charlie. “He’s my half brother, I didn’t know about him until four months ago. I didn’t know he was allergic to anything!”

“Now we need a plan B. We know he likes pizza, what can we do with that?” Charlie filed away the half brother comment for later, she had to know the story behind that.

“I think I know something that would work.” Gabriel said, his eyes gleaming. 

X x X

Dean knocked on the door to Cas and Gabriel’s apartment, pizza in his free hand. He knew his friend was still feeling down after his close call the other day. After a moment, the door opened and Dean felt the breath get sucked out of his lungs.

Cas was adorably rumpled, his natural sex hair crazier than usual, his eyes bright and alert. Dean’s eyes raked over him before he knew what he was doing, and he quickly took in the sight of Cas in a plain black t-shirt, with red and black plaid pajama pants, his feet bare.  _ Even his toes are sexy. _

Dean really needed to get a handle on his inner voice, it was driving him crazy and leaving him blue balled.

“Hello Dean. What are you doing here?” Cas did that adorable head tilt that made Dean want to pull him into his arms and kiss him stupid.

“I brought pizza. Thought maybe we could have an early dinner and watch a movie.” Dean said sheepishly, his lips curving upwards as Cas visibly perked up.

“That sounds great, come on in.” Cas backed up, allowing Dean to enter the apartment and he followed the man into the kitchen. Sliding the pizza onto the counter, Cas gestured toward the living room. “Why don’t you go pick something out for us to watch while I get our food set up.”

Dean nodded and was quickly digging through the shelves of DVDs. He held up his selection and immediately pursed his lips, a puppy face lighting his face that would make Sam proud. Cas shook his head, a grin on his lips as he took his seat on the couch.

Letting out a whoop of excitement, Dean cued up the movie and plopped onto the squishy but comfortable couch next to Cas.

“How many times have we watched this film?” Cas asked as the beginning of the movie started. Dean rolled his eyes at how formal his friend sounded, sometimes Dean swore that he was actually a martian here to study humans.

“All the way through? Twice. Lost track of how many times we’ve started it but didn’t finish.” There were a couple of times that they had started the movie on a random weekend only for one of them to fall asleep before it finished, there was even one year at Christmas that they had attempted to watch it but was interrupted by their friends.

“Besides,” Dean continued as they loaded up their plates, “a  _ movie _ like The Magnificent Seven never goes out of style.”

Cas snorted. “You only say that because you like to watch Chris Pratt bouncing around on a horse.”

Dean barked out a laugh as they watched the church being set fire on the screen. “Nah, I’m more of a fan of Lee Byun-Hyun.”

Cas giggled as Dean butchered the man’s name, yet again. He could never pronounce it right, no matter how hard he tried. He had to admit though that the actor portraying Billy Rocks was smoking hot but he was not the man that held his heart. Nope, that title belonged to the blue eyed angel that sat at the other end of the couch.

“Look at how fast he throws those knives around. Imagine what else he could do with those fast hands.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Dean blushed and looked down at his plate.

_ Don’t make things weird dammit! _

There’s been a few times, times like now where he’s caught Cas looking at Dean’s lips and licking his own at the same time. The sight alone made Dean ache, more than he thought it ever would. But was it enough to make a move? The fear of rejection kept him frozen in place.

The sudden sound of gunshots coming from the TV broke both men out of their reverie and Dean focused on the movie and not his aching heart.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I hope it wasn't too obvious that I don't know much about the medical field, hopefully it wasn't too terribly off.


	3. Story Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garth is a biter. Dean eats pizza

_January 21, 2019_

Ah, Friday night. Game night at the Winchester/Bradbury apartment. Dean and Charlie rushed around the apartment setting out bowls of various chips and pretzels, stocking the fridge with beer and different sodas for mixed drinks. After that was finished, Dean set up the Playstation and got out the various games. While he was doing that, Charlie got out the board games. They’d stopped playing Monopoly after the attempted biting incident when Garth accused Dean of cheating. There was some debate on if Dean had actually cheated, but no one else wanted to get bitten. For such a sweet and mild mannered guy, Garth had some sharp fucking teeth. Dean had found out that little tidbit during a rather nasty game of Phase 10.

An hour later there was a buzz in the lobby, and before they knew it, Garth was waltzing in, followed by Sam and Gabriel. Charlie giggled at the exasperated look on Sam’s face and the awestruck gaze on Gabriel’s. Gabriel was bound to wear him down eventually.

Dean clapped his hands together, a big grin on his face. “Alright, let’s get this party started!”

“Where’s Cas at?” Charlie asked Gabriel around a mouthful of popcorn.

“He said he would be over in a little while, he was working on some paperwork.” Gabriel said, setting down the bags he was carrying.

“Whatcha got in the bag there?” Charlie asked, pointing at the bags by Gabriel. 

“I brought candy.” Gabriel said matter of fact and plopped down on the couch, taking a beer that Dean offered.

“You didn’t have to bring stuff. We have plenty of drinks, snacks and we’re going to order Chinese.” Charlie said, her eyes widening at Gabriel’s sudden panicked expression.

“I have to share?!”

“Jesus Gabe!” They all yelled, laughing and settled in the chairs and couch. Playing host and hostess, Charlie and Dean set up their first game, ‘Beer Pong.’ Since there were only five players, Garth had decided that he would play referee. Since no one wanted to get bitten, there were no arguments. 

Four rounds and a lot of beer later, Charlie and Dean won against Gabriel and Sam. It didn’t help that Gabriel was constantly distracted by flirting with Sam, loudly proclaiming that he was going to climb him like a tree.

“He is so trashed.” Charlie giggled, leaning drunkenly against Dean on the couch.

“Sammy! Sammy! Open up Sammalicious. C’mon, just open those pretty lips.” Gabriel begged and with a huff, Sam finally parted his lips and allowed Gabriel to shove a hershey kiss in. “Guys, guys look! Sammy is letting me ‘kiss’ him. Get it?! ‘Kiss him’.” Gabriel laughed loudly, snorting and gasping before he let out a yelp as he nearly fell off his chair.

Right at that moment there was a knock on the door and after a moment, a blushing Dean came back over with Cas on his heels. As Cas got himself a beer and settled on the floor, Charlie pulled Dean into the kitchen where they had a little privacy.

“Have you talked to him yet, Dean?” At Dean’s blank look, Charlie scoffed. “ _Cas_. Have you talked to him yet?”

Dean sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “No, Charlie, I haven’t.”

Charlie’s gaze softened as she took in the sad form of her best friend and pulled him in for a hug. He went willingly, burying his face into her neck and gripping his arms tightly around her waist. All this time of being his friend and roommate, she could read him like a book. He didn’t do ‘chick flick moments’ but deep down inside, he needed comfort and contact as much as anyone else.

After a moment, he let go and Charlie released her hold. “Why haven’t you said anything to Cas yet?” Charlie murmured, trying to keep her voice low so their conversation stayed private. 

“Charlie, I’m afraid.” Dean sniffled, looking torn and conflicted. He shuffled his feet nervously and Charlie patiently waited. She had all the time in the world for her friend.

“F-fuck, Charlie. You know what it was like for me growing up. Always be the good little soldier, ladies man, yada yada. Fuck, even with that, it’s no secret that I’m bi. I don’t hide it. But, but this is Cas. He deserves someone better than me. Someone that isn’t broken. He doesn’t need my hangups and bullshit. Why-” Charlie cut him off, pulling him in for another hug.

“I know, Dean. I’ve said this a million times, and I’ll say it a million more until you _hear_ me. We all love you. Gay, straight, bi, whatever. It’s never going to change. Your dad was a piece of shit, but you are _not him._ ” Charlie pulled back enough to look him in the eye. “Listen to me, Handmaiden. No matter what, we love you and need you. You love and need Cas. It’s easy. Tell him.”

Dean blew out a breath. “I don’t know Charlie. Hell, thanks to the old man, the only way I was able to even mention it to you was by being plastered. How am I supposed to talk to him about it? I don’t know how to do this!”

“One step at a time, Deano. I have faith in you. Now, let’s go see what those troublemakers are doing since they’ve been unsupervised.”

Stepping back into the living room, Charlie burst out laughing at the sight of Gabriel perched on Sam’s lap, laughing and trying to shove chocolate chips into his mouth. As Charlie watched, she couldn’t help but notice that despite Sam’s protests, he wasn’t really trying to fight Gabriel off. She had a feeling that creating Sabriel was a hell of a lot easier than helping Destiel happen. But one thing could be said about Charlie, she was very determined.

X x X

  
  


A shiver ran through Dean as he thought of his old man for the first time since he was sixteen. John Winchester was a piece of work, more into getting his point across with his fists instead of his words. Ever since Mary had died in a convenience store robbery, (wrong place at the wrong time), John fell tits deep into the bottle and never crawled out.

Dean was just six years old at the time but suddenly he was a parent to his two year old brother and shielding him from their drunk father. Those were the worst years of his young life as he walked a tightrope of mourning the death of his mother without incurring the wrath of his father. Not to mention, trying to keep her memory alive for Sammy who didn’t even remember her.

Their childhood was an interesting one, more times than Dean could count he was begging from strangers or stealing from stores so Sam could eat. Even his experiments with cooking didn’t always pan out but he kept them fed and that was all he cared about.

As morbid as it sounded, Dean was actually happy when John had died of cirrhosis when Dean was sixteen. He had stopped being a father when Mary was taken from them and for the last ten years had been a volatile stranger to them. 

Dean shook the dark thoughts from his mind. One thing was for sure, he and Sammy were survivors. He missed his mom though and they never found the prick that had robbed the store and shot her.

Dean shyly sat next to Cas on the couch, trying to be subtle as he checked out his outfit. He must’ve changed clothes before coming over, he was dressed in his best ass hugging jeans and a tight v neck t-shirt that nicely showed off his pecs and biceps. 

Yes, Dean was smitten enough to know just exactly what jeans were Cas’ best ass huggers.

Of course, he had also worn his ugly tan trench coat that followed him everywhere, even though it was the middle of January and freezing ass cold outside. Dean noted that Cas was freshly showered, his dark hair still damp and smelling strongly of the honey and apple body wash that he loved. Nothing in the world smelled better than that.

“Heya Cas.” He could’ve smacked himself for how dumb he sounded, Cas somehow had the ability to turn him into a stumbling and bumbling fool.

“Hello Dean.” Jesus, that gravel voice. It was unfair.

“So, how did you guys wind up meeting? I never did get to hear the story.” Garth blurted, leaning slightly against Charlie.

“You want to take this one Dean?” Cas asked, an eyebrow slightly raised. While Dean just wanted to keep listening to the rumbling timber of Cas’ voice, he nodded dumbly before he cleared his throat to speak.

“Well, you guys all know that I’ve worked for Sandover for the past four years or so. I had designed the perfect logo for the new website, or I thought it was anyway. Worked on the son of a bitch for three weeks. Found out that grimy asshole Zachariah had sucked the big boss’ ass and they chose his design instead.” Dean muttered, picking at a thumbnail and refusing to meet everyone’s eyes.

“I remember that. You drove me nuts with all the late nighters. Now to get to the good part of how you met this little angel here!” Charlie laughed, even when Dean shot her a death glare.

“Anyway,” Dean coughed and elbowed Cas lightly. “I was sitting in the breakroom picking through the fridge looking for someone’s lunch to steal since I had forgotten my own-”

“You still do that?!” Sam spluttered, nearly tossing Gabriel off of his lap. Why Gabriel was using Sam as a chair, Dean wasn’t trying to think too hard. Just, no. “Someone’s gonna kick your ass one of these days for that, Dean.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know, jerk.” Dean half heartedly glared at his brother before grabbing his beer.

“Bitch. Now continue the story!”

“Ok, ok. Anyway. Apparently, a large ass pizza had been ordered to celebrate that douche Zachariah getting his design chosen. It was lunchtime, obviously, but I was still pissed over the design thing and suddenly didn't want the lame ass bologna sandwich that I had found."

Dean paused in his storytelling to down half of his beer. He glanced around at their little group; Charlie and Garth were identical, faces glazed over propped on hands that rested on knees. Gabriel, the little fucker was back to shoving Hershey kisses in Sam's mouth, a dopey and mooney grin plastered on his face. Cas meanwhile had reclined back on the small couch, a foot resting on the coffee table. His arms were crossed, biceps bulging deliciously and Dean licked his lips before he knew what he was doing.

_Shit, could I be anymore obvious?!_

Cas wasn't huge like Sam—who looked like he lived in the gym—but he was nicely built, like a runner or swimmer. Thick and delicious in all the right places.

_God, Winchester, get a grip!_

Dean coughed and finished off his beer. "Anyway, I was sitting in the break room and I decided 'what the hell, I'm gonna have some pizza'."

"What does that mean?!" Charlie blurted, literally on the edge of her seat. 

Before Dean could open his mouth, Cas spoke up. "He was grumbling about what a raging dickbag Zach was while taking a bite out of each and every piece of pizza."

Everyone burst into giggles imagining Dean engaging in his somewhat petty but oh so funny revenge.

"What were you doing, Cas?" Garth asked, his eyes comically wide with curiosity. 

"Well, it was my first day at Sandover and Zachariah was spreading the word about the pizza. He was pretty smug about it, that Dean's design was passed over in favor of his. Since I was the new guy, Zachariah insisted on showing me where the break room was. There was Dean sitting at the table, grumbling about what an ass hat Zach was. Once Zachariah realized what Dean was doing, his face turned purple and he started shrieking.”

Everyone erupted into cheers and clapping and Dean’s face turned all red. He had wanted to be suave and sweep the dark haired architect but instead met him with a face full of greasy pizza.

Two swift knocks on the door and Ash elbowed his way in, two bags clutched in his hands. “Dudes and dudette, I brought tacos!”

Dean grinned, Ash was Sam’s dorm room mate at Kansas U, and pretty cool for a mullet wearing hippie. He was also a scary genius with a computer and not surprisingly was getting a degree in computer design. 

More than once when Sam was visiting, he would regale Dean with stories on how Ash would hack into some prick professor’s computer and the college itself to change information. Professor Roman in particular had tried to sexually harass Ash and within five minutes on his laptop, he had the FBI sniffing around the man. Despite his crazy appearance that consisted of a mullet, ripped jeans and sleeveless shirts, Ash was a certified genius that liked to hack into NORAD for fun. Dean pitied anyone who would dare come up against Ash.

The rest of the night was spent with laughter and many more drinks before Dean and Charlie called it a night around three in the morning. Dean snorted as they piled into the Uber, Gabriel insisting on sitting on Sam's lap to conserve space. Dean had a feeling he would need to talk to the little imp about personal space with his baby brother but that was a conversation best saved for when all parties were sober.

Arm around Charlie, they stumbled back up to their apartment. Charlie groaned at the mess that was left behind and neither one was in the mood to clean. 

“To bed, Handmaiden?”

Dean simply nodded, too tired and wrung out to verbally answer. Retreating to his own bedroom, Dean stripped down to his basic black boxers before sliding in under the covers. His last thoughts before he drifted off to sleep were Cas’ blue, _blue_ eyes and the rumble of his laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in case no one has noticed yet, I'm a huge fan of The Magicians and thought it would be super fun to post super vague summaries. Yay or nay?


	4. Pizza and Playdates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabe gets a date, Dean and Cas eat burgers

Gabriel stood behind the counter, arms crossed as he glared at the table full of giggling women. Well, them and Sam. Garth was currently out making a delivery so it was just Sam and Gabriel at Giovanni’s. The past three days post drunken game night had been absolute torture. Sam, the idiotic and adorable moose hadn’t said a word about it, and even though Gabriel was trashed and certain things were fuzzy, one thing was clear.

The object of his affections had the softest damn lips ever. Lips that Gabriel was burning with desire to taste. Even through the haze of alcohol, he could distinctly remember the silky feel of Sam’s lips as Gabriel crammed candy after candy into his mouth.

Even more troubling was that Sam hadn’t objected to Gabriel climbing into his lap like a kid going to see Santa. He was thankful that no one had spotted the chub he was pointedly ignoring because he wanted nothing more than to claim every inch of Sam’s gorgeous body.

Fuck, he was so screwed.

From his position behind the counter, he practically spit fire at a blond with curly hair as she giggled, her hand on Sam’s arm as he brought them a refill on their drinks. Sam smiled back, his voice low as he talked to the women at the table and Gabriel wanted to vomit. True, Sam had not come out and said he was gay or even bi but he felt that there was something between them at the game night. 

But this, the obvious mutual flirting, that hurt. He growled as he handed over a pickup, slamming the drawer to the cash register with more force than was necessary. The kid that was picking up the pizza nearly tripped as he raced out of the building. Gabriel felt bad, the kid did nothing to incur his wrath but he suddenly found himself in a foul mood.

Life really sucked sometimes.

He seethed, biting the inside of his cheek as Sam left the dining area and back to the counter, a napkin in his hand and a smile on his lips. He hated himself because he wanted the overgrown puppy with every fiber of his being but had no clue where Sam stood.

“Friendly table.” Gabriel could’ve given himself an award with how calm he managed to sound. Inside, he was screaming.

“Uh, yeah.” Sam looked at the napkin and Gabriel could hear the hallelujah chorus as Sam balled up the napkin and tossed it into the garbage can. He shot Gabriel a sheepish grin as he collected a tub to bus the table that had been used by the giggling blondes. He leaned in close and Gabriel fought a shiver as a pair of velvet lips ghosted past his ear. “Lighten up Gabe. They’re not my type.”

“O-oh?” Gabriel croaked, mentally smacking himself for the stutter in his words. Sam simply grinned at him and shot a quick wink before clearing the table, leaving Gabriel speechless. _Oh._

Sam came back, bus tub full and came to a stop in front of Gabriel. Balancing the tub on a hip, he brushed his fingers over Gabriel’s cheek. “Oh.”

Gabriel felt his heart skip a beat as he craned his neck to peer into Sam’s hazel eyes. Was he dreaming? He became hyper aware as Sam leaned in closer, to the point where he could see his own reflection in Sam’s eyes.

“Gabriel.” Sam’s voice was low but sure and strong.

“Y-yes Sam?”

“Kiss me.” The words were barely out of his mouth and registered by Gabriel before he was reaching up with his toes and connecting his lips to Sam’s. His lips were softer than they had felt on his fingers and Gabriel licked along the seam before they parted and allowed Gabriel’s tongue to sweep and prod the expanse of his mouth. 

Clutching his Giovanni’s Pizzeria shirt, Gabriel pulled him impossibly closer and slightly turned his head to deepen the kiss. They teased and nipped, Gabriel’s knees threatening to cave as Sam sucked on his tongue. After what seemed like hours they broke apart, both men breathing heavily. 

“Damn kiddo. Whoever taught you how to kiss, I need to send them a fruit basket.”

Sam chuckled as he nuzzled along the scruff of Gabriel’s jaw, his long fingers playing with the collar of his shirt. “Shut up and kiss me again.”

“So bossy, kiddo.” Gabriel grinned, skin around his golden eyes crinkling at the corners as his fingers dove into the long tresses of Sam’s hair. Jesus, it was softer than it looked. He made a mental note to ask what products Sam used on his hair, the strands felt like pure silk.

The mental note was promptly forgotten when Sam claimed Gabriel’s lips once more, slowly growing heated and firmer despite their location. As they tasted and hummed in approval, Gabriel shifted his weight and he felt a shock of pleasure as he brushed against the incredibly firm bulge that was threatening to burst from Sam’’s jeans. 

A loud crash of silverware and plates made them jump apart, Sam grinning sheepishly at the bus tub that had slipped from his fingers. “Oops?”

“Tell Paulie that. Charlie already warned me against breaking dishes. From the way she tells it, he gives you a twenty minute lecture and then threatens to take it from your pay.” They both shivered at the thought of the burly, dark haired Italian man reaming them out. “Umm, Sammy?”

“Yes Gabe?” His thoughts were in a jumble as the tall and gorgeous Sam Winchester was staring at him like he was a priceless piece of artwork.

“Would you - um - would you maybe want to go out to dinner with me?” God, he felt like a stumbling and bumbling idiot with his first crush.

“No.” As Gabriel’s face began to fall, Sam quickly added, “I’d love to.”

Gabriel’s face immediately brightened and he lightly smacked Sam on the arm. “That was mean, you jerk!”

Sam barked out a laugh. “Yeah, but I’m cute, so I’m able to get away with it.”

“Yeah you are!” Both men laughing, they cleaned up the broken dishes and got back to work. Gabriel couldn’t wait for their date.

X x x

Dean sat at his desk at Sandover, finishing up the design for the front courtyard for a new hotel opening. They needed the finished product next week so he had been spending late nights working on it.

He was bent over his desk, finishing the drawing of the fountain that they had requested when there was a knock on the door. Looking up, his heart immediately broke into a sprint at the sight of Cas leaning in the doorway.

Jesus, the man looked good.

Today he was dressed in a dark blue button up, the exact color of his eyes, (the fucker), and black slacks, with his legs crossed casually at the ankle.

"Hello Dean."

Kinda unfair that besides his ridiculous good looks, the man had a deep voice that always turned Dean into a pile of goo.

"Heya Cas. What brings you to the 13th floor?" _Breathe Winchester. In and out. There ya go._ Dean’s inner voice was a bit of a prick at times. 

Cas smiled, his eyes crinkling at the edges. It was Dean’s favorite smile, one he would give anything to see at all times. He stood straight and walked into Dean’s office, stopping in front of the sturdy wooden desk. Dean had a sudden vision of being bent over said desk, slacks around his ankles as Cas thrust into him. Fingers gripping the desk as Cas’ fingers dug bruises into his hips, moaning and panting as they rushed to completion. 

Has he mentioned yet that he’s totally fucked?

“It’s lunch time. Knowing you, you did not bring anything. Do you want to go get a bite at O’Malley’s?” Cas asked, fidgeting with the cuff of his shirt. Dean couldn’t help but notice that they were rolled to his forearms, revealing a dusting of dark hair. The sight was so sexy, Dean could feel his brain short circuiting.

“Oh. Uh, yeah, sure. O’Malley’s, sure.” Dean stuttered, grabbing his wallet out of his bottom desk drawer and sticking it in his pocket. Also plucking up his keys, Dean stood up and shot a sheepish grin at Cas.

“You ok Dean?” Cas asked, his head tilted in that adorable way, his eyes slightly squinting. 

“Yep, I’m good. Long nights working on the design for the Elysian Fields hotel.”

Cas nodded and as they walked to the elevator, he murmured, “You need to relax, Dean.”

A shiver ran through Dean’s body at the images flitting through his mind from those words. God, the man was trying to kill him.

Twenty minutes later, Dean steered the Impala into a parking spot at the front of O’Malley’s. It was a typical hole in the wall bar that went absolutely nuts on Saint Patrick’s Day, but they made a hell of a good burger.

Even at noon on a weekday, the inside of the establishment was dark and smoke filled, a few patrons nursing drinks at the bar. Choosing a booth in the back corner, the two men sat across from each other, Dean stretching his arm over the back of the booth.

Cas took off his trench coat and neatly folded it next to him, Dean trying his best not to track the movements. As usual, he failed.

After both ordering burgers, fries and a coke from the waiter, Cas folded his hands on the top of their table. “So Dean, any plans coming up?”

Dean thought for a moment. “Uh, no. Not that I can think of.”

Cas tilted his head in that adorable way of his and Dean fought the urge to leap over the table and tackle him. “Dean. Isn’t your birthday in a few days?”

“Oh, yeah.” Dean shrugged, fidgeting with his silverware. “Probably just hang out with Sam, nothing special.”

“Dean, it’s your birthday. You have to do something special.” Cas stared at him, his blue eyes piercing and Dean felt exposed. “Like a party.”

“Parties are for kids.” Dean grumbled, not wanting to meet his eyes.

“I don’t think so. I enjoy parties very much.” Cas said softly. That tone...did he mean…?

“If I had a party, would you come Cas?” And of course he was thinking about how else he could get the man to come.

“Of course I would.” Cas said simply, smiling that sweet smile that Dean loved so much.

Here goes nothing. “Cas...”

“Hi guys, here’s your food!” The magic moment was interrupted by the waiter returning with two plates piled with food. After they were left alone, Cas looked over at Dean with a grin.

“You were saying, Dean?”

Dean simply shook his head, the moment gone. “Nothing Cas. Let’s dig in, huh?”

Cas nodded, “It does look delicious.”

Dean snorted, his shoulders shaking with laughter when Cas not only tucked a napkin into the collar of his button up but laid one on his lap as well.

“What? Food is good but it’s messy. Half of it tastes like molecules, but burgers are always good.”

“Whatever you say, Angel.” The word was out before he could stop it and he nearly choked on his food. 

Cas grinned softly before Dean could continue his internal panic. “Angel, I like it.”

“Well, you were named after the angel of Thursday. Seems to fit you.” Dean struggled to keep his voice calm and not give away his excitement. _Cas likes the nickname!_ True, he had called Cas Angel many, many times….in his head. Would Cas catch on to how Dean was feeling? Would he not want to be friends anymore? Ugh, the anxiety was getting to him and making him sick.

Chatter was kept to a minimum as they finished their meal, after which Cas insisted on paying. Dean was trying his best not to come on the spot as they had wrestled for the bill and Cas’ fingers ran against his. His brain was so busy short circuiting that he didn’t give much of a fight.

“Fine, fine.” He grumbled as they left the bar and made their trek back to Sandover. On the way, _Simple Man_ came over the radio and as usual, Dean sang along to it, hyper aware of the bright blue eyes trained on him.

All too soon, they were back at work. Dean wished that their lunch hour was longer. Hell, he could spend all day with Cas and never get bored.

He brooded in the elevator and was jarred out of his thoughts when the elevator dinged. He moved off to the side to let Cas out and he waved a little as the doors began to close to take him to his floor.

The last thing he saw just before the doors shut was Cas’ wistful smile.


	5. Spilling My Guts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie and Gabe word vomit, Cas climbs into the fridge.

_A few hours later at Giovanni’s Pizzeria_

“Where’s Kevin? He should be back by now, you guys live like ten minutes away.” Charlie grumbled, wringing her hands anxiously. 

“Calm yer tits Red, he’s still new. I’m sure he’ll be back any second.” Gabriel said as he re-stocked the napkin dispensers. Kevin had been a new delivery driver that Paulie had hired, he was skinny as a toothpick and goofy but seemed like a really cool guy.

After the story time at game night, Charlie and Gabriel had decided that a special pizza delivery was in order. Gabriel had put in the order, wrote a little note on top and sent it off to Kevin to deliver. Veggie Supreme, Cassie’s favorite and the little note read: _I left it intact this time. xx_

Little bit on the nose and blatantly obvious but after seeing the moon eyes that Cas was walking around with after work, Gabriel was feeling the need to kick things up a notch. He couldn’t wait to get home tonight and ask Cas about his special delivery.

A few minutes later the bell above the door dinged and Kevin sauntered in, the delivery bag tucked under his arm. “Hi guys!”

“Hey Kevin.” Charlie chirped, coming to stand next to Gabriel. “Pleasant delivery?”

“You bet. The people here are so nice!” He smiled, bright and gummy as he made his way back to the kitchen. The rest of their work day was normal and three hours later, Gabriel skipped up the steps to the apartment he shared with his brother.

“Cassie, I’m home!” Kicking off his shoes, he dipped into his room and grabbed clothes for his shower. As much as he loved pizza, he hated the smell by the end of the night. Washing quickly, and drying off with a fluffy towel, he re-dressed and padded into the living room. His red plaid pajama bottoms, and a black t-shirt with a multi-colored sucker and the phrase ‘SUCK MY STICK’, were both awesome and (more importantly) comfortable

He found Cas in the kitchen, practically climbing into the refrigerator to look through the contents. “Uh, whatcha doing bro?”

Cas stood up, his cheeks pinking and looking sheepish. “I’m starving, and was trying to find something to make quickly.”

Gabriel looked around their tidy kitchen in confusion. “You didn’t eat the pizza?”

Now it was Cas’ turn to look confused. “What pizza?”

Thinking quickly, Gabriel sputtered out, “I guess I thought you were getting pizza. Long day at work.”

“You got pizza on the brain.” Cas laughed, clapping him on the shoulder as he passed him. They settled on an easy dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup, Gabriel of course insisting on chocolate cake for dessert.

Just before he fell asleep that night, he sent a text to Charlie. _We need a new plan, Red._

  
  


X x X

  
  


Charlie rubbed her hands in the freezing cold, her gloves were doing nothing to protect her digits. “What was the plan again?”

Gabriel rolled his eyes and continued to shape the snow that Charlie piled on. “Come on, Red. We’re almost done.”

Charlie huffed and wanted to pick the damn imp up and throw him into the nearest pile of snow. She was freezing her tits off all because he had the bright idea of building this ...monstrosity in view of Cas’ bedroom. It better work because as much as she loved these guys, this was absolutely insane.

“Gabe! You can’t add that to snow-Dean!” Charlie hissed, her eyes round as saucers under her black and yellow Harry Potter beanie. Shrinking down into her matching scarf, she giggled like a maniac and watched Gabriel as he continued to work.

“Why not? I think baby bro would love it.” Gabriel said, waggling his eyebrows that were practically hidden under his red hat. He put the finishing touches on the snow sculpture, stepping back to look at it from all angles. 

The two snow men were intimately entangled, their faces just a smidge apart. Both of the snowmen had their hands on each other’s asses. 

It was a masterpiece.

Judging by the look on his face, even Gabriel was blown away by how fantastic the snow sculpture turned out. Charlie couldn’t wait for Cas to see it. Shivering, Gabriel smoothed two more edges and then declared it ready. 

“Ok, if we’re done, let’s go get some hot chocolate, I’m still freezing my tit’s off.” Charlie grumbled, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

  
  


Fist bumping in agreement, Gabriel followed her and got into her little yellow Toyota. Blasting the heat up high, they made the short drive to the local coffee shop Beans a’Plenty. Lucky for them that the shop was open twenty-four hours a day since it was past midnight.

There were only two other customers in the shop so it was quick work ordering their hot chocolate before claiming a table near the door. Charlie removed her hat and gloves, wrapping her fingers around the steaming throw away cup before she took a long drink of the liquid.

“Delicious.” She murmured, smacking her lips. She chuckled as Gabriel noisily drank from his cup, a little chocolate mustache left above his lip.

Letting out a not so delicate burp, Gabriel sat down his cup and fiddled with the rim. “So, I was thinking...what should we do for Deano’s birthday?”

“I wouldn’t say anything too big, he’s not a huge fan of crowds. Pretty much just our game night crew and Sam.” Charlie did not miss how Gabriel perked at the mention of the name.

“I’ll get the decorations and the cake. You’re in charge of food.” Charlie added, finishing off her hot chocolate.

Gabriel pouted. “Why can’t I get the cake or decorations?”

“Because anything you get will be penis shaped or covered in them!” Charlie sputtered, laughing.

“Would not!” Gabriel protested. After a second, a large grin broke out. “Ok, maybe they would.”

Charlie snorted, “See what I mean?” After a few moments of silence, she turned back to Gabriel. “So, I’ve been wanting to ask you. What did you mean that you didn’t know about Cas until four months ago?”

Gabriel sighed, running his fingers through his nearly shoulder length sandy hair. “Yeah, so like I said, I didn’t know about Cassie until four months ago. Growing up, I was always the black sheep, my older brothers Michael and Luke were competitive. To the point where it bordered on insanity. I've always been laid back, go with the flow and they didn’t like that. I practically was a prisoner in my own bedroom just to stay away from them.”

“Jesus.” Charlie blew out a sharp breath. “So, how did you not know about Cas until recently?”

Gabriel fidgeted, running his fingers through his hair. She couldn’t help but notice how often he made the gesture and deduced that it was a security blanket of sorts. “Yeah. Chuck, our dad, left one day when I was seven and didn’t come back. No word, no visits, it was like he just disappeared. Naomi would refuse to talk about him and punish us if we so much as uttered his name. After I graduated high school, I got a phone call from Mikey that Naomi had kicked the bucket. Never found out exactly how but she was never the maternal type so part of me didn’t really care. It was always the nannies taking care of me, making sure my homework was done, making me soup and singing to me when I was sick. It was never her.”

Gabriel took a deep breath, looking out the window and avoiding Charlie’s concerned gaze. She would never have suspected that this bright and bubbly man had such a horrible past. “I was summoned to the ‘manor’ to collect some things that were left for me. A box was shoved into my hands, and I was told to ‘get my faggot ass out before I infected anyone.’ Took a few days to summon the courage to actually go through it and I found letters from Chuck, letters that sour bitch had kept from me.”

Charlie sat back, stunned at the vehemence in his voice. She made a mental note to never get on his bad side. Without interrupting, she simply waited for him to continue, suspecting that this was long overdue for him.

“In the letters, Chuck told me how sorry he was, but that he couldn’t be around anymore. That he couldn’t stand how hateful and blind Naomi had become.” Gabriel had snorted a laugh. “He had actually tried to get custody of me but Naomi threatened to ruin him, said that she had connections and could weave evidence out of thin air to get him thrown in prison for the rest of his life. The last letter he told me that I had a half brother, that he had met a wonderful woman named Amelia and had Cassie. Three days later, I showed up at the address, and was told that Chuck had died the summer before of a heart attack, and that Cas had moved away. I tracked him here and haven’t left.”

Gabriel gave a watery smile and Charlie reached out and clutched his hand tightly. Gabriel was a new friend, her little partner in crime and it hurt to see him like this. “So, that’s my sad little story. Change of subject please.”

Before she could stop, the words just vomited from her mouth. She hated talking about her past but maybe it would help Gabriel to know that they were partners in misery. “Dean saved me, you know. We went to school together since third grade when my dad decided that Lawrence Kansas was as unassuming as he could find to hide from the debt collectors. Things were okay for a while and Dean and I were thick as thieves from day one. Between Sam, Dean and I, we would come up with some pretty crazy prank wars that would drive the teachers nuts.”

Charlie’s voice broke a little as she next spoke. “About a month after graduation, I came home from hanging out with Dean and dad had his hand wrapped around my mom’s neck. He was choking her to death. Screaming in her face about how she was a slut, she was making him look like a fool by cheating on him, just really crazy stuff. I watched, frozen, as he threw her across the room and she crumpled to the floor like a ragdoll. He came after me next and he had me pinned against the refrigerator, his hands wrapped around my throat when Dean came bursting in.” She laughed bitterly and wiped at a stray tear. “I had forgotten my jacket at his house. Dean jumped at him and before I knew it, the cops were coming to arrest dad. He could’ve killed me and my mom but Dean saved us. Mom’s been in a coma at the hospital since and I could never thank Dean enough for bursting in that day. I owe him my life.”

“Jesus.” Gabriel mumbled, clasping Charlie’s hand tightly. “I can see that you love him very much.”

“I do. He’s my best friend. I’d do anything for him. He’s like the little brother I never had. I had nowhere to go and he just simply looked at me and said, ‘of course you do dummy, you’re coming home with me.’”

Gabriel laughed a little at that. “I’m open for adoption. Sounds like we’ve all had a bad start but maybe that was actually a good thing.” At Charlie’s confused look, Gabriel continued. “We healed each other. The healing may not happen all at once but we support each other.”

“Damn right we do.” Charlie wiped at her face and grabbed her cup. “Let’s get the hell out of here, it’s still the middle of the night.”

X x X

Back at the apartment that Gabriel shared with Cas, he grinned at the erotic snowmen before checking on Cas. He was curled up in his queen sized bed, buried under his blankets, tufts of hair barely visible. Snickering to himself, Gabriel padded down the short hallway to his bedroom. Kicking the door shut, he stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed, too tired to put on any pajamas. He couldn’t wait to see Cas’ face in the morning. Cuddling the spare pillow, he drifted off to sleep with his thoughts on Sam.

Hours later, he slowly woke to the morning rays filtering through his window. Stretching his limbs with a satisfying groan, he rolled over to look at the time. He didn’t have work at Giovanni’s so he was slow to roll out of bed. As he pulled on a pair of black and red plaid pajamas and a black t-shirt, he padded out into the shared living space.

Cas was already up and tiredly shuffling around in the kitchen, dressed in a ratty t-shirt and sweatpants. His hair was even more disheveled than usual and had a line from his pillow across one cheek. Gabriel snorted at how adorable he was as he crossed the kitchen to the coffee maker. Even though they’d only known each other for four months, and were polar opposites, it had been the best four months of Gabe’s entire life. He never got along with Mike or Luke, and frankly, Cas was a breath of fresh air.

As Cas began cooking breakfast for them, Gabe opened the cupboard and grabbed a mug. Before he could pour any coffee into it, Cas let out a squawk of indignation and grabbed the mug.

“What the hell, Cassie?!” Gabriel grumbled as he grabbed another mug from the cupboard. He didn’t see what the big deal was, there had to have been at least ten different mugs to pick from. “It’s just a mug.”

Gabriel filled his mug and faced his brother. Cas’ ridiculous blue eyes were huge as he cradled the mug to his chest like it was the most precious thing on the planet.

“It is not just a mug Gabriel. Dean gave me this for Christmas.” Cas said as he gently set the mug down and filled it with coffee.

Ah. Gabriel got it now. Cas had been obsessive over the bee and honeycomb mug since he had received it. No one else was allowed to use it. “Sorry bro, won’t happen again.”

Cas nodded and they worked in companionable silence as they cooked up a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. After it was finished and they filled their plates, they sat across from each other at the small table. Gabriel dug into his breakfast, occasionally glancing at Cas and taking sips of his coffee. The suspense was killing him. Had Castiel seen the snow statue yet? Did he realize it was himself and Dean? Why wasn’t he saying anything?!

Clearing his throat, Gabriel glanced at his brother. “So, have you decided on what to get Dean for his birthday?”

Cas’ eyes widened as he swallowed a bite of eggs. “Yes. Got it yesterday actually.”

Gabriel waited for him to continue but when he didn’t, the shorter man practically started bouncing in his seat. “Well? Don’t keep me in suspense, what is it?”

Cas smiled, his eyes crinkling at the edges. “I don’t kiss and tell Gabriel.”

Kissing! What did he miss while he and Charlie were busy plotting about getting Dean and Cas together. “Kissing? Come on, gimme some detail.”

Cas laughed and carried his plate to the sink. “You’ll find out soon enough what I got him.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes at his exasperating brother. “Fine, be that way.” Now was as good a time as any to bring it up since Cas wasn’t. “What’s with the dicks in the yard?”

Cas turned to him with a frown. “What dicks?”

“The dicks out in the yard. I could see them in the bathroom window, they’re right in front of your room.” Gabriel explained, mentally cursing Cas for being such a martian. 

Cas walked out of the kitchen and Gabriel could hear him open his squeaky bedroom door. A moment later, Cas’ confused voice could be heard. “Gabriel, there are no dicks out there. There’s just a pile of snow.”

_What?_

Getting to his feet, Gabriel went into Cas’ bedroom and looked out the window. Sure enough, where the erotic snow statue was of Dean and Cas, there was just a pile of snow. “Hmm, someone must’ve come through and knocked it down.”

_Dammit, can’t catch a break!_

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at the sno-stiel! Aren't they cute?!


	6. Turnin' 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean's big day and Blue Hawaii

_January 24th_

  
  


Dean rolled over in his bed, stretching his arms over his head and curling his toes. Slowly, he opened his eyes and seeing the morning light seeping through his blinds, he wished he could roll over and sleep the day away. A few minutes later the shrill blare of his alarm broke the silence of the small room and with a grumble, he slapped at the machine until it turned off.

He ran through his morning routine on autopilot and before he knew it, he was freshly showered and shaved and dressed in a button down grey shirt and black slacks. He was so glad that today was Friday. He loved his job at Sandover but felt more comfortable in jeans and t-shirts than he did in dressy clothes. All he wanted to do was kick back with a beer, a movie or two and his friends but instead was preparing for work. 

Walking into the living room, he could see Charlie as she sat at their small table, chin in hand, undoubtedly eating a bowl of Lucky Charms.

“Too much partying last night, your majesty?” Dean chuckled as he grabbed his travel thermos out of the cupboard and filled it. Charlie merely grunted as she slurped noisily at her cereal. Coffee ready, Dean pressed a kiss to the top of Charlie’s messy head as he passed her. “I’ll see you tonight Charles,” Dean said, grabbing his messenger bag and keys before leaving the apartment. 

Charlie hurriedly downed the rest of her cereal before she bounced out of her seat. She had a party to prepare!

Humming ‘ _Enter Sandman’_ softly as he entered Sandover a short time later, Dean quickly made for his office. His finished sketch was due and he wanted to check it over before he submitted it to the higher ups. Sitting in the middle of his desk was a simple white cake box.

Eyebrow quirked in curiosity, Dean set down his messenger bag before taking a seat at his desk. It was from Sweet Cheeks Bakery, the best bakery in the world, in Dean’s opinion. Lifting the lid, he grinned widely at the simple message written on top.

_Dean -_

_Hope you have a great birthday._

_\- Cas_

Simple, but the fact that Cas had given him something from his favorite bakery spoke volumes. It was an apple pie cupcake with a crumbly topping and smelled absolutely delicious. Pulling out his phone, he sent out a text.

_To Angel: Thanks for the birthday *cake*_

A few seconds later, he got a new message. 

_Angel: You are welcome. I bet it’s finger licking good._

Dean bit his lip, repressing a moan. Why did the man have to make everything sound so dirty?

_To Angel: You’re going to be the death of me, Cas_

_Angel: Me? I’m an angel. Enjoy your little cake, I have some numbers to crunch. Oh, and keep the moaning to a minimum. Remember, the walls are thin._

Dean blew out a breath. Jesus, this man was trying to kill him. Also, he wanted to smack the man for bringing up the first time that he had Sweet Cheeks Bakery and the entire floor heard him moaning like he was starring in a hard core porno. That cherry crumble was one of the best things he’d ever had in his mouth. Well...so far anyway.

Licking his lips in anticipation, Dean grabbed the cupcake out of the box. He didn’t care if he moaned loudly, it was his birthday and he got a delicious treat from the most gorgeous man he’d ever known. 

He grabbed his phone and took a picture to send to Cas of him biting into the cupcake and attached a text: **_Screw the walls, I’ll moan loudly if I want to._ **

Kicking his feet up onto his desk, he ate his treat as his thoughts were consumed by a certain blue eyed man. A few minutes later, his cell phone chimed with the theme song from Harry Potter, a ringtone he had specifically set for Charlie (for obvious reasons).

_Charlie: Handmaiden! Can’t remember what time you were coming home tonight. Text me the details good sir. Toodles!_

_Dean: Charles, have you been sniffing paint thinner? I’m meeting Sam for our yearly drinks out @ the Roadhouse and then I’ll be home._

Dean shook his head at his roommate. Usually she wasn’t so forgetful, except if you try and talk to her during a Harry Potter marathon. That girl tuned everything else out, and lived in her own little bubble then. It was a yearly tradition for the two Winchester brothers going to the Roadhouse for their birthdays for drinks, and it was the only way that Dean really wanted to spend the day anyway.

_Charlie: Alright, alright. Calm yer tits. See ya when you get home. Adios bitch!_

The day passed in a blur as Dean finished out his sketch and sent it off. He breathed out a sigh as he left the building at the end of the day, able to skip the office birthday crap that employees subject themselves, and each other, to. He was all for having a good time, (don’t get him wrong), but Dean swore that anyone who came to office parties were just there for the free cake, not to wish each other a happy birthday, or sad to see a fellow worker retire. 

Vultures.

The drive to the Roadhouse was short and sweet. Dean found a comfy parking spot before traipsing inside. He had already spotted Sam’s shiny black Charger parked nearby, and fought the urge to mess up the sleek paint job. That monstrosity was _not_ a car. Nodding to the bouncer at the door, Dean scanned the busy bar before he spotted Sam. He would know that giant moose and girly hair anywhere.

Waving to Jo and Alex who were behind the bar, he elbowed Sam lightly before he climbed onto the bar stool next to him.

“Hey bitch.” Dean said as he took the beer that Alex sat in front of him.

“About time you got here, jerk.” Sam grumbled, with no heat behind the words. 

“Yeah, yeah. I had to get that design finished before I could leave.” He rubbed his aching wrist that always acted up after a long day of drawing. The carpal tunnel he would wind up with as he got older was worth it. 

Sam held up his half drunk beer. “Happy Birthday, man.” They clunked the bottles together before drinking deeply.

“Thanks Sammy.”

“Will you ever stop calling me that?” Sam asked, exasperated, as they ordered new beers.

“Doubt it.” Dean laughed as they sat side by side in the busy bar.

“So what are your plans for tonight?” Sam asked as he tossed a couple of peanuts into his mouth.

Dean shrugged. “Same as always. Maybe drink a beer or two, pester Charlie if she’s home. Watch a scary movie.”

Simple plans. He wasn’t a fan of birthdays since they had all been shitty since Mary died. Before John’s death, he had been too enamored with the bottle to do anything for Dean or Sam’s birthdays. For years Dean would steal from the neighbors or beg for jobs mowing grass to get Sam at least one present. Not his proudest moments, but his little brother was everything to him. 

All he wanted to do today though was hold a certain someone in his arms. Lean against that warm body, and clutch at his hand when a scary part popped up in the movie. He was so tempted to just grab the Cas and tell him how he felt, that he longed to kiss him and hold him.

“That sounds like a fun night.” Sam murmured, not quite meeting his eyes. Dean would’ve caught it if he hadn't been so busy mooning over Cas.

About an hour, and another beer later, Dean and Sam left the bar. Dean got to his car, his precious Baby and yelled in frustration. “Somebody let the air outta my tires. Son of a bitch! Who did this? I’m gonna kill ‘em. Gonna kill ‘em all!”

“Dean, calm down.” Sam held his hands out, trying to placate Dean who had his hands buried in his hair. “We can get the tires fixed tomorrow, she’ll be good as new.”

“Calm down? I can’t calm down Sam! Someone touched my girl.”

“Come on, Dean, I’ll give you a ride home. We can figure out what to do with the Impala in the morning.”

“In the morning?! I can’t leave her here all night!” Dean grumbled but after an epic bitch face from Sam, he finally relented. He curled over the hood, laying his cheek on the cold metal. “I’m sorry Baby. I’ll come back for you in the morning. And I’ll kick the ass of whoever did this to you.”

With a forlorn look to the Impala, he got into Sam’s _atrocious_ Charger and pouted all the way back to the apartment.

  
  


X x X 

“Charlie...why am I here?! I should be at home wrapped in six feet and four inches of flannel and muscle.” Gabriel whined as he blew up balloon after balloon at Charlie’s insistence. The living room and kitchen was a chaotic mess of balloons, streamers and a banner that Gabriel had made himself.

_Happy Bi Birthday Dean!_

It may be a tad on the nose, but being a pain in the ass was Gabriel’s specialty. The apartment was pretty cheerful looking since the birthday decorations were in the colors of the bisexual flag.

Charlie was setting out plates, cups and napkins when her phone chimed. “It’s Dean, he’s whining that his baby was tampered with.”

Gabriel shrugged. “Had to get him to come home with Sam somehow.”

“You know he’s going to kill you when he finds out, right?” 

“Eh, I got a sexy giant moose to keep me safe.” If all else failed, he would climb Sam like a tree to get to safety. Height differences came in handy sometimes.

He was antsy to see Sam again. They’ve been attached by the lips since that fateful day at work and Gabriel wanted more. Sam’s lips were like pure crack and when the taller man included his hands...Gabriel had the urge to pull Sam’s clothes off with his teeth. They hadn’t progressed past heavy making out and while Gabriel wanted nothing more than to bury himself balls deep into Sam’s heat, he respected the man’s wanting to wait.

He felt like he had waited his whole life for Sam, he wasn’t a random lay. If Gabriel was completely honest with himself, he thought of forever when he thought of his relationship with Sam. Having a house together, growing old surrounded by the kids that they adopted. Gabriel wanted it all. 

Fuck, he would happily propose tomorrow, but he wanted to make it special for his Sammy.

Charlie brought out the birthday cake that she had picked up for Dean, and Gabriel scoffed at it. It was three tiers tall, but was all plain, white frosting. Gabriel reached into his coat pocket from where it was hanging and pulled out a baggie.

“Seriously? You just carry that around with you?”

“Yep.” Gabriel grinned as he sprinkled pink, blue and purple edible sprinkles all over the cake. “Now _that_ is a gay cake.”

Charlie simply shook her head and got back to work. In just a few minutes, Garth, Ash, and Cas appeared to help Charlie set out the food, while Gabriel got out the booze. Per Dean’s picky requests for anytime they had a gang get together, if they weren’t getting takeout, the food had to be burgers. Since he was the birthday boy, Charlie went an extra step and made bacon cheeseburgers with fresh cut french fries.

As she was setting the food out, Gabriel’s phone pinged. “Aww, lookit that, Sammy sent me a picture of his hard throbbing - oww, what the hell Charlie?!” Gabriel griped, rubbing his arm where Charlie had slugged him.

“Sam is like my brother, I don’t want to know _anything_ about certain appendages.” Charlie shuddered and shot him a glare.

“Ok, Red, chill. It really was Sammy. They just parked.”

The living room was a flurry of activity as their small group hid behind furniture. They could hear clunking of heavy boots on the stairs and Dean’s bitching the whole way up.

“Sam, we’re not really leaving Baby there all night, are we? I can’t do that to her, she’s my pride and joy. Some little asshole is going to scratch her or try to steal her.”

“Dean, the car will be fine. Let’s get inside, ok? We’ll get her in the morning.” 

Gabriel snickered as he heard them arguing. Like an old married couple, those two. The key turned in the lock and the door slowly opened. 

“Charlie, I know you’re here, I can smell your perfume. Why are all the lights off?”

Simultaneously, the lights came on and the gang popped out and yelled “Happy Birthday,” Sam included, as Dean shrieked and lost his footing, pinwheeling his arms in the struggle to remain upright as Sam neatly caught him.

“SON OF A BITCH!” Dean gasped, his green eyes wide as he took in the grinning and laughing group.

Gabriel traipsed over with a tray of drinks in short, squat glasses with a little umbrella. Everybody took one and clinked glasses together.

“What is this?” Dean exclaimed, examining the bright blue liquid.

“Blue Hawaii.” Gabriel chirped as he downed half of his drink in one gulp. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he grinned widely, his golden eyes twinkling as he continued. “Try it, you’ll love it.”

  
  


X x X

Dean took a hesitant sip, his eyes widening in surprise at the smooth coconut and pineapple mixture. Now that his heart rate was back to normal after having the shit scared out of him, he was ready to kick back and hang out with his friends.

“Who’s ready for some burgers?!” Charlie yelled at the group and Dean’s eyes lit up at the sight of bacon cheeseburgers, french fries and an array of condiments. After building their burgers, they all sat in a circle and dug in.

“These make me very happy.” Cas moaned around a bite of burger and Dean squirmed at the sudden tightening in his pants.

They were damn good burgers, after being roommates for a few years, Charlie picked up some tips from him. Just the fact of someone else cooking for him was a treat itself.

Someone had put on music, the first song on Dean’s ipod came on. He swayed lightly as _‘Simple Man’_ played, watching Charlie and Ash banter over computer parts. He caught sight of Sam perched on Gabriel’s lap, the smaller man’s hands clasped tightly around Sam’s waist. Dean normally would’ve been bugging the pair, giving Gabriel ‘the talk’ but as he watched them, he felt a pang of...jealousy.

He wanted that. He wanted the closeness that the two shared as they teased and talked. He wanted to be able to hold someone close, to breathe in their scent and just _be._

Dean _wanted_.

“....Dean?” Dean was shaken out of his daydreaming by Cas’ bashful face staring expectantly at him.

“I’m sorry, what?” The gang giggled at him and Cas grinned, gummy and perfect.

“I asked you if you wanted to open your presents first.” Cas replied, taking a small sip of his Blue Hawaii. Cas was unfairly hot in his snug plain black t-shirt and jeans that perfectly hugged his hips and his ass.

“You guys got me presents?!” Dean exclaimed, clapping his hands excitedly. He sat on his favorite recliner and waved his hands. “I’m ready for gifts!”

Charlie snorted and handed him a gift bag. “Here ya go roomie.”

Dean dug through the sparkly blue gift bag and unearthed a Gryffindor scarf with his initials at the end. Charlie had always insisted that if Dean was a student at Hogwarts, that was the house he would belong in.

“Charlie...where did you get this?”

Charlie grinned as she snapped a picture of Dean wrapped up in the scarf. “I made it, Deano.”

Dean’s mouth flopped open and shut a few times before he pulled her into a hug. “Thank you, I love it! Any other secret talents you’re hiding from me?”

“C’mon Winchester, I can’t give away all my secrets.”

Ash was next and gave Dean a six pack of his favorite beer topped with a bow and a gift certificate for tacos. It was so typical for the mullet sporting hippie, Dean loved it. “Thanks man,” he said, giving Ash a fist bump.

“No problem mi amigo, everyone loves tacos.” Not as much as Ash did, Dean had the sneaking suspicion that it was all he ate.

“Alright, my turn!” Sam called out, climbing off of Gabriel’s lap who of course instantly began pouting and making grabby hands. He grabbed a small box and handed it off to Dean who instantly began grousing at how much tape was on it.

“You wanted me to open this right?” Dean grumbled, picking at the tape with his thumbnail.

“Just open it, jerk.” Sam laughed as Gabriel pulled him back onto his lap.

“Maybe if it didn’t have thirty-seven pounds of tape holding it shut, bitch.” Dean shot back as he finally got it open.

Inside, he found a ‘brew your own beer kit’ and a gift certificate for a full detail job on the Impala. Sam got him the gift certificate every year but with as much as Dean spoils his car, the gift is always more than appreciated.

“Thanks Sammy.” Dean said, grinning as he pulled his brother into a hug, Gabriel squawking in indignation as Sam nearly fell off of his lap.

“You’re welcome. And it’s Sam.” Dean let out a laugh that turned into a full body, hysterical laugh at how matter of fact Sam always made that sound.

“I’m next!” Gabriel yelled as he handed a box to Dean, keeping himself tucked behind Sam.

Dean raised his eyebrow at Gabriel, normally the impish little man was at the center of attention, it wasn’t like him to hide behind Sam.

Opening the lid, he peered at the contents. Blushing scarlet, he slammed the lid back down. “What is - oh my freaking god. Dammit Gabriel!”

Gabriel, for all his innocent looks he shot at Dean, knew exactly what he had done. “Aw c’mon Deano. Show everyone what you got.”

“Nope. Not doing it. Nuh uh.” He huffed, nudging the box away with his foot as he crossed his arms in defiance.

“Oh, now I gotta know.” Charlie said, reaching for the box.

“No!” Dean shouted, attempting to keep the box away from her. No one will know the contents of the box….ever.

“It’s a purple vibrating plug!” Gabriel cackled with amusement. Charlie and Ash bowled over laughing hysterically, while Sam looked like he was about to put Gabriel over his knee and spank his ass. Gabriel was grinning ear to ear at all of them, the little fucker. Dean was afraid to see how Cas had reacted.

Expecting to see Cas’ normally stoic face seething at his brother’s antics, Dean was surprised to find a look of curiosity widening in Cas’ bright blue eyes. Interesting.

Did Cas use something like this on a regular basis? Did he stretch himself open on those slender and tan fingers, moaning all the while? Would he perhaps want to give Cas a hands on demonstration? Oh great, now he was sporting half a chub just thinking about it.

Clearing his throat, Dean sat the box on the floor again, feeling the back of his neck heat up. “Who’s next?” He asked, desperate to change the subject. Last thing he needed was to have a raging boner at this little party that his friends threw together for him.

Cas fidgeted with a slender package, a small smile gracing his lips. “I do not wish to give my present yet, Dean.”

“No worries man.” Dean said, smiling warmly. Whatever Cas had for him, he would give to him when he was ready.

“Ok, time for cake then!” Charlie yelled and brought out a cake with three lit candles. Their small gang gathered close and sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and Dean was hyper aware of how close Cas was to him. The man always had an issue with personal space but it was something Dean would _never_ complain about. If he had his way, he and Cas would always be attached at the hip.

As the song came to an end, Gabriel yelled out in a sing-song voice, “Make a wish, Deano!”

Dean closed his eyes and instantly, Cas’ face flashed in front of him. God, he wanted him. Fuck it. It was time that he got what he wanted for a change. _I wish for Cas. Any way that I can get him. He’s my best friend and I’ll never love anyone more than him._

He blew all three candles out in one go and everyone cheered and clapped. Charlie grabbed plates and forks, making quick work of cutting the cake.

Ash passed on a slice of cake, preferring to stick with his beloved tacos, and it was no surprise when Gabriel promptly claimed the extra piece.

Dean whistled as he got his piece. “Whoa. The sprinkles were a nice touch but this is one _gay_ cake.” He loved that this little group, his family, were so welcoming about who he was. Coming out was always a hard thing and he was so thankful for these people in front of him.

  
  


“Isn’t it? But Gabriel over there didn’t think it was gay enough so he tossed sprinkles on it.” Charlie said, snickering at the glare that Gabriel sent her way.

“Let me guess, the banner was his idea too?” Dean asked, pointing with his fork.

“Yep.” Charlie said, full out laughing at Gabriel’s pout, multicolored bits of cake and a sprinkle smeared on his face. “Did you lick your plate?!”

“Don’t judge me.” Gabriel whined and then promptly beamed as Sam dabbed at his face with a napkin.

After cake, they sat and listened to music, drinking their beers and mixed drinks. Gabriel was whipping out Blue Hawaii’s faster than they could drink them. Charlie and Ash were yet again geeking out over computers, but Dean couldn’t make sense out of the things they were talking about.

As he was throwing his empty beer bottle away and heading back to his recliner, Cas waved him over to an empty spot in the living room away from their inebriated friends.

“I’m ready to give you my present now.” Cas said softly, handing over the flat rectangular package.

Dean smiled softly at the neat wrapping paper, it looked like it had been professionally wrapped. In neat block letters it read, _To Dean, From Castiel_

He slid his finger under a flap and pulled the wrapping paper off. Inside was an album. Not just any album but a Metallica album. Dean let out a gasp of surprise when he realized it wasn’t just any Metallica album but a _signed_ Metallica album.

“Holy shit.” Dean breathed as he held onto the album with shaking fingers.

“I know how much you enjoy their music. I wanted to get you something special.” Cas said, fidgeting slightly at the open mouthed gape that Dean was sporting. “Happy Birthday, Dean.”

“Cas...I can’t believe you got this for me,” Dean mumbled, yanking Cas into a hug. He buried his face in Cas’ neck, pulling the smell of Cas’ cologne deep into his lungs. His heart leapt into his throat as he felt Cas’ arms curl around his waist and grip the back of his shirt.

Dean wanted to stay in this moment forever, the feeling of having Cas pressed against him, even in the guise of a hug was one of the best moments of his life. This...this was the moment. Dean felt like he would burst if he kept silent for one more minute.

Gently releasing Cas from the hug, he took a step back and shyly wove his album free fingers into Cas’. Cas looked down at their joined fingers and then at Dean, a small smile on his lips.

_Here we go._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wound up so much longer than I was originally planning so I cut it into two. Also, try a Blue Hawaii, absolutely delicious!


	7. The Truth Shall Set You Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean asks Cas a question

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are at the end! If you made it this far and liked what you read, thank you!

“Cas, you’ve been the best friend anyone could ask for. You know me inside and out. I’ve been thinking lately and it’s not enough.” Before Cas could interrupt, Dean squeezes his fingers and says, “While I love being your best friend, I want more. I want to wake up to you every morning wrapped up in your arms. I want to see your grumpy face before you’ve had your morning coffee, to curl up with you and watch scary movies. Cas, I’ve been in love with you for as long as I can remember, I don’t want to hide it anymore.”

“Dean...I don’t know what to say.” Cas’ eyes overflowed with tears and for a moment Dean began to panic.

“Oh. Um...please don’t cry Cas. We can just pretend this never happened, ok? I’m sor-” His words were cut off as Cas gripped the back of Dean’s head and crushed their lips together. It was just on the edge of pain as their teeth clanged together, but Cas adjusted slightly, and  _ wow _ . Cas’ plump, full lips were like a shot of heroin—instantly making Dean crave more. 

Dean tilted his head, deepening the kiss and he dropped the album to clutch Cas closer to him. He probed at Cas’ mouth and the man instantly opened, allowing him to sweep inside. He tasted sweet from the cake and the drinks they’ve had and something that was uniquely Cas. 

Their hardened groins rubbed together and a mantra of ‘ _ needtakeneedtake’  _ ran through Dean’s head. When he finally released Cas, both of them were panting. To hell with the rest of the party—Dean just wanted to drag Cas off somewhere private. “Dean, you silly, stubborn man. I’ve been in love with you since the first time I saw you, all pissed off and taking bites out of a pizza. You were everything I ever wanted, but I wasn’t sure if you would want me back.”

“I do want you, Cas. I’ve never wanted anything or anyone more. Do you wanna be my boyfriend?”

Cas smiled, that beautiful gummy smile that Dean loved so much and squeezed Dean’s hand. “Boyfriends.”

Cheers and whistles went up around them at their friends and family and they waved them all off before embracing again.

Best. Birthday. Ever.

Hands entwined, Dean led them back to the party, a wide grin lighting up his face. “Hey guys, as you probably heard since we were about ten feet away, Cas is my boyfriend now. Boyfriend...meet the friends and Sammy. Sammy and the friends...meet Cas. The boyfriend.” He knew he sounded like a dork but he didn’t care. Nothing at all could top this day.

“Yes, it worked!” Charlie yelled and then promptly clapped a hand over her mouth.

“Charlie, what’d you do?” Dean asked, looking suspiciously at her as the redhead fidgeted in her seat.

“Dean, don’t be mad. And really it was Gabriel’s idea-” There was a loud bang from the back of the apartment and after a quick look around, Dean realized that both Sam and Gabriel were missing.

“Son of a bitch. What did you do Charlie?!”

“Cheese and rice. Ok, ok. Gabriel and I may have tried to set you guys up. And it seems to have worked so...yay!” Charlie said, doing her best to look sheepish.

Dean looked nervously to Cas, trying to gauge his reaction. Last thing he wanted was for Cas to think that he was some sort of bet or part of a game. Cas was too important for that.

To his surprise, Cas was smiling and quickly pulled Charlie into a hug. “Thanks,” he whispered before he pulled back.

“You’re welcome. Go get him tiger.”

An hour later, Sam and Gabe had yet to surface. There was nothing back there but the bedrooms and bathroom, which made Dean suspicious. As much as he loved his little brother, if Sam was fucking on Dean’s bed, he was going to kill him. 

Since the confession, Cas had sat happily snug on Dean’s lap. Now that they were boyfriends, Dean delighted in being able to touch and kiss Cas if he wanted to. And seeing how Cas loved and enjoyed touch and cuddling as much as Dean, it was the icing on the cake.

After some banging on the door by Charlie, Sam and Gabriel finally came out of the bathroom looking thoroughly debauched. Dean was sorely tempted to pull Gabriel to the side and give him the talk about not hurting his little brother but with the moon eyes they were shooting at each other, he realized that it was unnecessary.

Snuggled into Cas’ side, Dean enjoyed the rest of his party, snorting with laughter when Charlie beat Gabriel at Mario Kart and he threw a pillow at her. A little after midnight, they decided to break up the party before people got too tired to drive.

As Sam collected their coats, Dean pulled Gabriel aside. “I’m happy for you guys, but be good to him.”

“I will Dean. I swear it.” Dean was taken back at the seriousness of Gabriel’s tone, the dude was a joker by nature. “And you gotta promise me that you’ll be good to Cassie. Show that mattress who’s boss.”

“Gabriel!” Dean, Charlie and Cas yelled all together and the freaking imp giggled before he jumped onto Sam’s back and they walked out the door.

A few hours later just Cas, Charlie and Dean remained. Charlie yawned loudly and stretched like a cat before shooting a sheepish look at Dean and Cas who were snuggled on Dean’s favorite recliner.

“I’m heading off to bed. Sweet dreams handmaiden. Nighty night Cas.” She gave them both a hug and then wandered down the hallway to her bedroom.

With the firm click of the door, Dean smiled at Cas and tugged him closer. “I’m not tired yet. Want to watch a movie with me?”

He was giddy with excitement when Cas nuzzled against the scruff on his chin before replying. “I’d love to.”

“Great. The TV out here sucks, want to come watch it in my room?” While it was absolutely not true that the TV in the living room sucked, he wanted his guest to be comfortable. He hoped that Cas wouldn’t think he was coming on too strong. After all, they had only been boyfriends for about three hours.

Cas grinned, all warm and gummy and making his eyes crinkle. Jesus, he was gorgeous. “I’d love to, Dean.”

X x X

Cas felt a warmth in his chest that he hadn’t felt in such a long time. Here he was, worried that Dean wouldn’t return his affections, only to find out that they were wholeheartedly returned.

Feeling a little bold, he grabbed what remained of the cake—and two forks—before quickly returning to Dean’s side. At Dean’s inquisitive expression, Cas quipped, “Thought we might want a little dessert with the movie.”

Dean pecked him lightly on the nose and smiled brightly. “That is an awesome idea.”

Following Dean down the short hallway and into the bedroom, Cas fought the desire to just take the man up against the wall. The room was decently sized with a queen bed, a nightstand, and a dark oak dresser with a large TV on top. Everything looked neat and tidy, the bed made with a dark green comforter. A book rested on top of the otherwise bare nightstand, and Cas noted with a grin that Dean was reading Slaughterhouse-Five. Cas was a fan of  Vonnegut as well, and he liked that they had some things in common.

A small bookshelf next to the dresser housed DVD’s, and Dean began ruffling through them as Cas made himself comfortable at the end of the bed. The bed was insanely plush and Cas longed to just starfish right in the middle and never move.

Cas’s bright blue eyes met Dean’s wide ones as he stood up with a DVD in his hand. “You look so good in my bed, Cas.”

Cas chuckled darkly upon seeing the erection tenting Dean’s jeans. “It is awfully comfortable.”

“It’s memory foam. One of the few things I splurge on. And it remembers me.”

Cas hummed in thought. “Perhaps it will remember me too.”

Dean grinned wolfishly, his eyes so lust blown that Cas could barely make out the green of his eyes. “We sure as hell can try.”

Dean took the cake from Cas’ hands and sat it on top of the bookshelf. Gulping audibly, he took two steps forward until he was standing right in front of Cas who remained perched at the end of the bed. He gently cupped Cas’ jaw, so gently that Cas barely felt it and Dean ran his thumb across Cas’ bottom lip.

Not looking away from Dean’s lusty gaze, Cas parted his lips and sucked that blasted thumb in. Dean choked out a moan as Cas sucked and rolled his tongue around the invading digit. Removing his thumb, Dean dropped to his knees and Cas immediately parted his legs.

“Is this ok Cas?” Dean asked, his hand hovering over Cas’ denim clad thigh.

“Jesus, yes. Touch me Dean.” Cas whimpered, every cell in his body crying out for the green eyed beauty on his knees in front of him. “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”

Dean blushed making his freckles more pronounced. Cas idly wondered just how much skin those freckles covered before he bit out a needy, “take off your shirt Dean.”

Without hesitation, Dean began to unbutton his light green shirt, revealing miles of tanned and freckled skin.

The more skin that Dean revealed, the harder Cas got, until he was sure his erection would burst through his jeans.

“Absolutely beautiful.” Cas breathed as he began to nip and suck on the skin that Dean exposed. He had always thought he would never have this, and now that he did—and it was  _ Dean _ , his beloved Dean—Cas wanted to pinch himself and make sure it wasn’t a dream.

“Cas,” Dean whimpered as Cas sucked just below Dean’s jaw and Cas made a mental note to do that a lot more in the future. He wondered what other needy sounds he could pull from the man.

“Too many clothes.” Dean cried as he frantically tore at the belt that wrapped around Cas’ waist. Gently slapping his hands away, Cas stood and undid the belt, his hands resting on the button to his slacks.

“Do you want to keep going?” Cas asked softly, his blue eyes filled with heat. He wanted nothing more than to get naked and horizontal with the object of his crush of too many years, but he had to let Dean know that there was no pressure to take this huge step in their fresh relationship.

“God yes. Fuck. Keep going Cas. I want to see you, see all of you.” Dean rambled, his breath coming out in a whoosh and Cas tugged his slacks and his black briefs down in one fell swoop.

“Merry Christmas to me.” Dean blurted and Cas let out a giggle. Not to brag or anything, but Cas wasn’t exactly small, and to know that Dean liked what he saw was a huge turn on. But now Cas wanted to see all of Dean. So he sat back on the bed to admire Dean in all his freckled glory.

“Take the rest of your clothes off Dean.” At the command, Dean’s eyes widened and a whimper burst forth from his throat. He shakily rose from where he was still kneeling and thumbed the button open on his slacks. Cas hummed in appreciation. “Very nice Dean. Slowly, give me a show of that gorgeous body.”

Dean blushed but he did as Cas asked, slowly turning around so his back was to Cas. Cas watched with hooded eyes as Dean pulled the zipper down and then pulled the fabric oh so slowly down his thighs. Cas let out a gasp as Dean had revealed shiny blue satin panties and he bit back a whimper as Dean’s perfect ass cheeks were brought into view.

“Nice panties.” He managed to comment without his voice cracking and Dean turned his head to look over his shoulder at him.

“They remind me of your eyes,” he murmured shyly as he hooked his thumbs into the delicate waistband. Dean wiggled his ass as he played with the waistband of the panties and Cas had to squeeze the base of his cock to keep from coming on the spot.

“Turn around.” He croaked and when Dean faced him, the air was promptly punched from his lungs. The scrap of fabric barely covered Dean’s hard and leaking cock, the plump cockhead dampening the material. “Fuck, Dean.”

Dean smirked and cupped his balls through the fabric and gave a light tug. “Like what you see?”

“I love it. Can I?” At Dean’s nod, Cas leaned forward and mouthed at the fabric, his breath ghosting over the hard ridges of Dean’s perfect cock. Soon enough he wanted more and tugged the fabric down, cupping the material under Dean’s cock. The sight of the turgid flesh had Cas’ mouth watering and he needed a taste.

He swept his tongue over the head and down the thick vein on the underside, inhaling the musk that was uniquely Dean. He felt Dean’s fingers hesitantly carding through his hair and needing more, he raised a hand and gripped one of Dean’s before he squeezed. Popping off of Dean’s cock he murmured, “Pull my hair Dean, I’m not a delicate flower.”

Dean snorted before he did as Cas asked, running his fingers through Cas’ unruly hair and tugging at the strands. Cas felt a shock of arousal at the feeling and moaned abashedly as he sank down onto Dean’s erection.

“I had no idea you were so bossy, Cas.” Dean groaned out as Cas sucked and bobbed, completely drunk on the heady flesh. Cas playfully popped him on the thigh before pulling off yet again.

“You’re not being a good boy. Don’t you want to be my good boy, Dean?” Cas asked innocently, looking up at Dean through his eyelashes as he tugged absentmindedly at his ignored erection.

“Fuck. Yeah Cas. I wanna be your good boy.” Cas hummed in approval before wrapping his lips over Dean’s cock once again. He could do this all day long, the man tasted so good. Before long, it wasn’t enough and he pulled away, the tip of Dean’s cock wet and red with need.

“Get your sexy ass up on this bed, Dean.” He choked out a laugh as Dean scrambled to comply and they were quickly wrapped around each other.

“I want to taste you too, Cas but I can’t wait any longer.” Cas groaned as Dean’s fingers wrapped around his achingly hard cock. “Please. Please make love to me Cas.”

How could Cas refuse that? He had been in love with Dean for far too long, too chicken to do anything about it. And apparently, Dean was in the same boat. But somehow, they made it here, together.

Nodding solemnly, Cas cupped Dean’s jaw and brought their lips sweetly together. They laid like that for a few moments, Cas halfway on top of Dean, their legs tangled together before things quickly grew heated. Cas shifted until he was between Dean’s legs, easily slotting into the space like he belonged there.

Dean tilted his head, giving Cas access and he quickly began sucking and nibbling on the unblemished flesh. Cas rocked their erections together as Dean flicked and tugged at a pebbled nub of Cas’ nipple. They were a tangle of arms and legs and breathy moans as Dean lifted his hips to meet Cas’ thrusts and they were quickly rutting together like horny teenagers.

“Dean, where’s your supplies?” Cas gasped out as he lavished at one of Dean’s nipples, making the man beneath him whine in pleasure.

“Drawer.” Dean pointed frantically at the nightstand before he tugged Cas in for a kiss and raking his nails down Cas’ back.

Cas practically ripped the drawer open and rifled through the contents. He raised an eyebrow at the giant twelve inch dildo and the bright purple anal beads. Those were definitely for another time though. 

He quickly grabbed a string of condoms and the nearly full bottle of lube. He wanted to bury himself into Dean’s tight heat bare, but wanted to make sure they were both healthy before they took that step.

Supplies in hand, he practically pounced on Dean who spread his legs wantonly. “Such a naughty boy,” Cas praised as he popped open the bottle of lube.

“A naughty boy who wants his boyfriend to fuck him.” Dean quipped, an eyebrow raised as he smirked at Cas.

“Cheeky fucker.” Cas laughed as he coated a finger and teased at Dean’s entrance. Leaning forward, he captured Dean’s lips as he began to work him open. Smirking at Dean’s breathless look, Cas nibbled at his neck and whispered, “Not feeling so mouthy now, are you?”

“I’ll say whatever you want if you keep doing that.” Dean groaned as Cas pushed his finger deeper and brushed against his prostate.

Huffing a laugh, Cas took Dean’s cock all the way down to the root in one swift motion as he added a second finger.

“Hnngh.” Dean gasped, wriggling on the bed, his knuckles white as they fisted the comforter. “Fucking hell Cas.”

Cas continued to suck as he worked Dean open and by the time he got to three fingers, Dean was a panting and shaky mess. “You ready for me sweetheart?”

“I swear to fucking Christ Cas, if you don’t get in me this second, I’ll flip you over and ride that cock.” Dean threatened and Cas raised an eyebrow at him.

In one swift move, Cas pulled his fingers out of Dean’s ass and yanked one leg over his shoulder. Sheathing himself in the blink of an eye, Cas coated his cock with lube and lined himself at Dean’s furled entrance. “Cheeky brat,” he grumbled before he pushed in balls deep into Dean’s tight heat.

He paused for a moment, not wanting to come too early and to allow Dean to adjust to the invasion. It wasn’t long before Dean was nudging him with his foot and Cas began to move, nearly pulling completely out before slamming all the way in.

“Fuck Cas, you feel so good.” Dean gasped as he clutched at Cas’ waist.

“You do too sweetheart.” Cas whimpered as he quickened his thrusts, leaning down so he forehead rested against Dean’s. The only sounds in the room was their panting moans and the slap of flesh as they moved together. Cas hiked Dean’s leg up further, spreading his legs wider and allowing him to sink in deeper as his thrusts sped up. “Ungh, fuck Dean.”

Suddenly he pulled out, and before Dean could react, Cas had flipped him over and raised him up on his hands and knees. Adding more lube, he plunged back into Dean’s hole, snapping his hips against his perfect ass. Then he pulled Dean up so his back was against his chest.

Reaching around, Cas thumbed at one of Dean’s dusky nipples, punching moans out of the man. Dean turned his head and fused their mouths together as he buried his fingers in Cas’ hair. Cas thrusted slowly, enjoying the new position, as he held Dean’s body tightly to his. All too quickly he could feel the tightening in his belly, his balls drawing up tight with his impending orgasm which he was powerless to hold back.

Releasing his grip on Dean, Castiel pushed him back onto all fours. Grasping Dean’s hips, Cas set a furious pace, pounding into his lush body with wild abandon. “Fuck, fuck, Dean. I-I’m gonna come.”

Dean moaned loudly and pushed back against Cas’ thrusts. “Come for me baby. I’m right behind ya. Fuck, Cas. I wanna feel you tomorrow.”

Tugging frantically at Dean’s leaking cock, the pair moaned loudly as they exploded at the same time. Cas found it insanely sexy as Dean’s hot come spurted over his hand while his seed filled the condom. Cas’ hips slowly came to a stop, his body feeling boneless. His cheek was mashed to Dean’s sweaty back, and he noticed with a small laugh that Dean’s arms were shaking as he struggled to hold them both up.

Gingerly pulling out, Cas swiftly removed the condom and tied it off before putting it on the floor to dispose of later. Pulling Dean onto his side, they laid together on the bed with Cas as the big spoon. Dean’s eyes grew big as Cas casually looked at his spunk on his fingers before he licked them clean.

“Holy fuck, that’s hot.”

“Mmhmm.” Cas hummed as he tugged him close, nosing at his neck. “We can shower in a little bit, I just want to hold you close.”

“Sounds good to me gorgeous.” Dean whispered, softly running his hand up and down Cas’ arm. After a few moments of silence, Dean spoke again. “I’m curious. I’m just as bad, but why didn’t you say anything before?”

Cas knew what he was referring to and thought for a moment before he spoke. “I was afraid. Being gay wasn’t ever exactly easy for me. Started in high school when my first ever crush pretended that he was interested in me. Turned out to be just a cruel prank and I was bullied quite viciously.”

He took a deep breath to steady himself against the prickle of tears he felt gathering. It was a long time ago, but it affected him deeply—maybe more than he wanted to.

“I’m so sorry Cas.” Cas simply hugged him tighter and kissed the back of Dean’s neck.

“Like I said, I was afraid. You were my friend for so long, I didn’t want to do anything to risk it. I didn’t want to lose you.”

Dean rolled over at his words and pulled him into his arms. “You’ll never lose me, Cas. I swear it. We’ll make this work, no matter what.”

Cas grinned against his neck. “I’m glad. Happy Birthday Dean.”

“Thanks Cas.”

After a quick clean up, both men dressed in flannel pajama bottoms. They curled up together, this time with Dean as the big spoon. Just as Dean was being pulled under, he realized that they didn’t make use of the leftover birthday cake. 

Oh well, pie was better anyway.

He nuzzled into Cas’ hair, breathing deeply and feeling happier than he had in a long time.

X x X

Charlie sat in the middle of her bed, noise canceling headphones firmly in place as she read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for the seventeenth time. She smirked as she sent a text to Gabe letting him know not to expect Cas back that night and that their plan worked.

She would let Gabriel explain to Dean on just what exactly happened to the tires of the Impala. 

**The end.**   



End file.
